People living with acid reflux or GERD often struggle with heartburn at night, making it hard to fall and stay asleep. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications like antacids and acid reducers may help manage symptoms; however, it’s also essential that sleeping positions be considered when selecting treatments.
Lying flat won’t allow gravity to help move stomach content through the LES, making reflux more likely. Continue reading to discover simple yet holistic lifestyle changes that could reduce acid reflux and GERD at night.
Avoid Excessive Eating Before Bed
Eating too close to bedtime is often the cause of acid reflux. Your stomach’s contents are normally kept away from the esophagus by means of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), so eating too much before sleeping may force these contents back up into it and disturb sleep quality; this could irritate it further and keep you awake at night – occurring more than twice each week could indicate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
GERD makes sleeping even worse; by not allowing gravity to help move food and acid through your digestive system, more likely than not it will rise into your esophagus and disrupt sleep. If you must sleep on your back, elevate your head with several pillows so as to reduce acid reflux symptoms and help you get better restful nights’ rest. It’s also wise to avoid recumbent positions immediately after meals or late meal consumption (ideally three hours prior).
Avoid Foods That Trigger Acid Reflux
Acid reflux can be more than an inconvenience; it can actually interfere with sleep quality. Many people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) experience symptoms at night – this form of acid reflux is known as Nocturnal Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.
Fatty foods, like French Fries, Fried Chicken, Fatty Meats and Whole Milk Dairy products are common triggers of acid reflux because they take longer to digest and may relax the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES). Spicy foods also irritate the esophagus further worsening symptoms of acid reflux.
Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit are known to trigger acid reflux due to their high acid levels. Peppermint can also relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Other food items that could contribute to acid reflux include tomato products (marinara sauce and ketchup), onions and garlic as well as alcohol which both relaxes the LES while increasing acid production in your stomach. Avoid these triggers to improve acid reflux and get a better night’s rest; taking smaller meals throughout the day as well as elevating your head at night using wedge pillows are other great preventive strategies against it.
Avoid Drinking Alcohol Before Bed
Acid reflux symptoms – specifically heartburn – often worsen during the night due to lying flat, which does not allow gravity to help carry rising digestive acid back down into your stomach. Furthermore, during sleep you tend to not swallow as frequently, keeping acid longer in your throat, esophagus, and throat lining.
Drinking alcohol too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle and result in heartburn or other symptoms, as well as acting as a diuretic, which dehydrates you further and makes it harder for you to fall asleep at night.
At night, there are steps you can take to help avoid and treat acid reflux, leading to better restful sleep. Avoiding foods known to trigger it, eating smaller meals throughout the day and sleeping in an ideal position are all ways of alleviating GERD symptoms; using a clinically proven GERD pillow may further support you while sleeping for improved results and reduced acid reflux.
Avoid Smoking Before Bed
If you find yourself experiencing frequent sore throat and hoarse voice symptoms, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) could be to blame. GERD develops when the lower esophageal sphincter, which regulates passage between stomach and oesophagus weakens and allows stomach contents to leak back up into oesophagus causing heartburn or acid reflux symptoms.
At night, symptoms become worse as gravity no longer aids in pushing back refluxed stomach acid back down into your digestive system. You also produce less saliva at night which lessens its acid neutralizing abilities and therefore compromises acid neutralization efforts.
Changes to diet such as eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day and no later than 4 pm, avoiding trigger foods, and using over-the-counter antacids may all help alleviate symptoms and promote restful nights’ rest. Losing weight if overweight and quitting smoking are other strategies for relieving symptoms; creating an evening routine to relax both mind and body before bed can also help; finally a good mattress should support natural sleeping cycles.
