There is nothing more startling than waking up with a heartburn or GERD attack in the night. And there is no easy way to get rid of the burning in your throat after, and no matter how many times you brush your teeth, you cannot get rid of the acrid acid taste. And the idea of going to sleep may be dreadful to you because of not knowing when your next GERD attack will be.
And, you could have a heartburn attack too after eating as it can be a painful sensation of burning just underneath your breastbone. You may need to go on antacids and other medications to help ease the symptoms of GERD or heartburn, but there is another solution to help reduce it drastically. Let’s first go over what heartburn is and why it happens.
What Is Heartburn?
Heartburn has nothing to do with your heart, as it is a condition caused by the lower esophageal sphincter not closing properly. Therefore, the acid backs up to your esophagus and causes a painful sensation. Alcohol, tomatoes, peppermint, spicy food, chocolate, fried foods, onion, and citrus can worsen symptoms. And obesity, as well as pregnancy can worsen heartburn.
However, GERD which is gastroesophageal reflux disease is when the stomach acid comes up through your esophagus and moves into your throat. That is what happens when you lie down for a prolonged period of time, which is why this unpleasant situation occurs while sleeping. Once again, there are medications that you can take for GERD and heartburn. However, there is an easy fix aside from losing weight (and even weight loss will not eliminate GERD and heartburn symptoms). It boils down to the way you sleep. Your sleeping position will help or worsen GERD and heartburn symptoms.
What Is The Best Position To Reduce Heartburn For Sleeping?
The best position to help reduce GERD and heartburn symptoms to sleep is on your left side. When you sleep on your left side, gravity helps keep the contents and acid in your stomach inside of your stomach. Therefore, thanks to gravity, it will reduce the chances of acid moving back into your esophagus and throat.
When you sleep on your right side, gravity does not work in your favor as the stomach is in an upward position which will allow the contents and acid to move through the weak lower esophageal sphincter more easily. That is why chances are when you have these heartburn and GERD attacks in the middle of the night, you likely are sleeping on your right side. There are other methods that can help reduce the attacks even more in addition to sleeping on your left side.
Prop Your Upper Body Up While Sleeping
Another way to make gravity work in your favor is by propping your upper body up while sleeping. That is why sleeping on a larger pillow can help. What is even more helpful is that if you place a wedge underneath your bed where your upper torso lies, it will help prop you up. It can be a book or a flat pillow. While you sleep on your left side with a prop underneath your bed, you will have a much easier time managing GERD and heartburn.
Don’t Eat Huge Meals Before Bed
Another thing to do is to not eat a large dinner within three hours of going to bed. If you do, you are increasing your chances of having heartburn and a GERD attack. The best thing to do is if you are hungry before bed, have a small snack that is easy on your stomach like a piece of toast or some crackers.
If you are still dealing with heartburn and GERD while practicing the above, then you will need to see your doctor as there could be some issue that needs to be addressed.
