Burning in your throat, regurgitation, choking, coughing, heartburn…trouble sleeping all night long. The cause of this intense pain? Stomach acid. Now before you go bad mouthing stomach acid to all your friends, understand that stomach acid isn’t the bad guy here. It plays a very important role in digestion and overall gut health. The problem isn’t the acid. The problem is that for those with acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach acid escapes to where it does not belong, into the delicate lining of the esophagus and sometimes even up into your lungs, throat, and sinuses. Plain and simple, stomach acid isn’t meant to be outside your stomach. The key to controlling nighttime acid reflux symptoms is to keep stomach acid where it belongs, in your stomach, and avoid potential sleep issues. Show Gravity and anatomy play a huge role in finding relief from nocturnal GERD symptoms. During the day, you are most likely standing or sitting up so when stomach acid escapes, gravity and saliva quickly return this potentially harmful substance to the stomach. Also, when upright, your esophagus naturally flows down into your stomach. This quick return of acid to your stomach typically makes your symptoms shorter, as well as minimizes the potential damage acid can cause to the delicate lining of your esophagus and beyond. How to Sleep with Acid Reflux You don’t have to sleep sitting up to take advantage of gravity and anatomy at night. You aren’t a giraffe after all. How you sleep can directly affect how often you feel symptoms, how bad those symptoms are, and how long the acid sits in your esophagus. The good news is that you can drastically change your nights by changing the way you sleep. Back Sleeping: Avoid Whenever Possible Right Side: It’s not Right for Acid Reflux So, back sleeping is bad. Right side sleeping is bad. What’s a GERD sufferer to do? Left Side: Reduces Reflux Benefits of Propping Up Your Body Best Sleep Position for Acid Reflux: Incline Left-Side Recent studies show that this is indeed the case. The compound inclined, left-side sleeping position makes acid reflux at night virtually impossible because your esophagus is now positioned well above the level of stomach contents, even if your stomach is full. And, if you do reflux, gravity is able to quickly return the contents to your stomach. Whew. This ideal sleep position provides a double whammy of decreasing your GERD symptoms and providing protection from prolonged acid exposure to your esophagus, throat, lungs, and sinuses. So, what’s the secret to controlling your acid reflux symptoms at night and finally getting good, quality sleep? Proper sleep positioning. Discover relief with the ideal position that maximizes the power of gravity and anatomy. Can drinking water help with heartburn?Sometimes, when heartburn symptoms set in, a few sips of water will bring relief. This can be the result of water neutralizing acids and washing them out of the esophagus. Water has a pH that, at 7, is neutral. This dilutes the more acidic stomach fluids, bringing relief.
How do I stop heartburn at night?What are tips to avoid heartburn when you're sleeping?. Avoid eating a large meal before bed. Larger meals increase pressure on the valve that separates the stomach and esophagus. ... . Nix the nightcap. Limit alcohol consumption before bedtime. ... . Rest upright to digest. ... . Sleep on an incline.. Which side makes heartburn worse?Several studies have found that sleeping on the right side aggravates heartburn; sleeping on the left tends to calm it. The reason is not entirely clear. One hypothesis holds that right-side sleeping relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, between the stomach and the esophagus.
|