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7 Tips for Easing Nighttime Acid Reflux - 1
Nearly eight in ten heartburn sufferers
experience symptoms at night. But staying up
all night to fend off heartburn isn't very
practical. Here's what you can do before you
go to bed to help you feel better and get a
good night's rest -- free of heartburn.
1. Eat at least two to three hours before lying
This way your stomach won't still be working on that big meal when you go to
bed. Lying down with a full stomach can cause stomach contents to press harder
against the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the valve that keeps food in the
stomach. If foods reflux up through the LES, heartburn is the result.
2. Avoid foods that known to lead to heartburn
These include foods that can trigger your heartburn, such as spicy foods,
coffee, citrus fruit and juices. If you eat any of these foods at dinnertime, it
will increase your chances of having nighttime heartburn. If you aren't sure
what foods trigger your heartburn symptoms, try keeping a heartburn record for a week.
3. Sleep with your head and shoulder on an inclin
Lying flat presses the stomach's contents against the LES. But if the head is
higher than the stomach, gravity helps reduce this pressure, and keeps stomach
contents where they belong--in the stomach. You can elevate your head in a
couple of ways. You can place bricks, blocks or anything that's sturdy securely
under the legs at the head of your bed. You can also use a wedge-shaped pillow
to elevate your head and shoulders.
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