This is the reason you always get a nervous tummy before a night out

Tickets have been bought for the event well in advance. The house party is set to be a banger. Maybe it's someone's birthday. Basically, it's a BNO.

Obv you're super excited for a super fun night, but your stomach is telling you otherwise. It's going topsy-turvey, it feels anxious. You feel like you're on the brink of a panic attack, and you've probably gone to the toilet three times already.

This is the nervous pre-night out tummy, and everyone is getting it because everyone is drinking prosecco – and it's a total nightmare. And the biggest question is: why is this happening to people who just want to have fun??? It prevents you from eating your dinner, there are time outs for deep breaths and it makes your feel like you're on the brink of an existential crisis when choosing between one outfit and another.

The nervous tummy is genuinely happening to every fun person across the country. And we need answers, because it has to be stopped.

Psychologist Emma Citron told us the nervous tummy is actually a form of “anticipatory anxiety", which can be spurred on from high social expectations from the night to come, and sometimes due to negative self-consciousness.

Emma said: “The name for it is 'anticipatory anxiety', and people get this for slightly different reasons. For some, it may be something quite specific, like they know a past boyfriend will be there."

Pressure on whether the night is going to meet everyone's expectations as being a success is also enough to bring on the nervous tummy. “Social expectations or perceived social expectations can include drinking to excess and hating doing this, appearing to be funny and not boring", added Emma.

Anticipatory anxiety manifests itself into physical symptoms, hence the sickening, nervous, knotted feeling in the stomach. Because of the 'flight or flight' stress response anxiety can trigger, it's not uncommon for people to need the toilet more regularly, throw up or loose all appetite. Chemicals and hormones, including adrenaline, can rush around the body causing potential reactions in the gut, stomach and heart – which is great!

“Some just feel stressed and this manifests itself physically. Some people worry before about mixing with lots of people in a large crowd or a noisy place. They worry what people think of them, and feel self-conscious", said Emma.

Bu obviously you're not going to miss the night out, because according to Emma this just makes everything worse. So ride it out, drink some more prosecco, and deal with the post-night out anxiety from all those bubbles in the morning.

More articles recommended by the author –

– Six types of liabilities you'll have to deal with on a night out

– Every type of guy you'll pull on a night out at the SU

– The five-step guide to a cheap night out in London