

This simple modification can go a long way towards reducing your nighttime acid reflux symptoms, and ultimately, protect you from the harmful long-term effects of refluxed stomach acid.
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The good news is that you can learn how to sleep with acid reflux comfortably by simply adjusting how you position yourself at night. How to Sleep With Acid Reflux & Heartburn The discomfort of nighttime acid reflux 9 can lead to poor sleep quality as heartburn and other symptoms cause disturbances throughout the night. This combination of factors can cause some to struggle with acid reflux at night even more so than during the day.

When you lie down, you swallow less, and this can also make the return of reflux to the stomach more difficult 2. However, the interference of gravity that reduces reflux symptoms while you’re upright disappears when you lie down to sleep at night. This quick return typically makes your symptoms shorter and minimizes the potential acid damage to the delicate lining of your esophagus that can occur from acid exposure. If reflux occurs when you are standing up, gravity and saliva quickly return the acidic content to your stomach. These issues can appear throughout the day, but many individuals may find that they intensify at night or will experience acid reflux in the morning, leading to physical discomfort, and as a result, poor sleep.ĭoes acid reflux get worse at night? For some, it can. Prolonged acid exposure potentially leads to serious health complications, such as erosive esophagitis, peptic strictures, esophageal ulcerations, Barrett’s esophagus, and in rare cases, esophageal cancer 1. More severe problems, like GERD ( gastroesophageal reflux disease) 8, come when reflux goes untreated. These problems can appear as uncomfortable physiological symptoms, such as: Problems arise when your LES doesn’t function properly, allowing your stomach contents to escape back up into your esophagus. If your LES functions correctly, what you eat will stay in your stomach with the occasional release of gas, also known as a burp. Your LES is a ring of muscles that act as a valve to control the flow of contents between your esophagus and your stomach. What you eat travels down your esophagus through your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and into your stomach where digestion begins. The right choices!Īgain, a healthy life style and a bed system which suits your physical features while being able to properly support you, are the keys to help you have a restful sleep each night.What causes acid reflux and what does it feel like? Let’s start with a short anatomy lesson. If you have to bend over, use your knees but don’t bend your back: even this simple movement, if often repeated, can increase reflux symptoms. Relax with some music, yoga exercises or by reading a good book. Talk with your doctor if the problem doesn’t improve in some cases the use of specific medicine might be necessary. No smokingīecause not only does smoke irritate the whole gastrointestinal tract, it also relaxes the esophagus muscles which avoid the reflux of stomach acids in the esophagus. Sometimes a chewing gum after eating can help the production of saliva helps to clean the esophagus from acids! 12. Wait at least 2 hours before you exercise after eating. After Dinner.ĭon’t lie down after eating, it would be better to have a stroll. How do you eat?Įat slowly! If you aren’t able, use this small trick: rest your fork every time you swallow a bite and pick it back up when you’re done! 9. Try to relax, feeling stressed while you eat increases the production of gastric acid in the stomach.

Be aware of what you eatĪvoid certain foods such as those containing caffeine or those that are too fatty and spicy also alcohol is strongly not recommended in these cases. Wear comfortable clothes that aren’t tight on your waist, both during the day and night.

Sleep with an extra pillow or even better if you would use an adjustable bed base which you can regulate according to your needs. Acid reflux is a very common and annoying disorder that keeps 1 person out of 5 awake each night.ĭiscover what can be 16 easy and effective ways to fight acid reflux and sleep great every night!
