In other words, laying down can push acid from the stomach up into the lower esophagus, making it harder for food to properly digest. When you are laying down, you lose the effect of gravity on the food traveling through your digestive system. When you sit or stand, gravity helps move the food through your esophagus and into the stomach. You may experience more acid reflux at night than during the day. Why Do I Have More Acid Reflux at Night and Keep Getting Heartburn At Night? Sometimes, the valve may fail to close completely, allowing food and stomach acid to leak from the stomach into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation called heartburn. This sphincter acts as a valve to the stomach, keeping food from moving back into the esophagus. Typically, as you swallow food, it passes through the esophagus and into the stomach through a band of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Heartburn occurs as a result of food and stomach acid backing up into the food pipe, or esophagus. We hope everyone stays safe and healthy during this time. For instance, you can try wearing a pocketed T-shirt backwards and putting a tennis ball in the pocket to elevate you, sleep with a backpack on that’s stuffed with a basketball or something else bulky, or invest in devices that vibrate if they detect that you’ve rolled onto your back.By Deni Hui, The University of Texas at Austin College of PharmacyĬurist delivers FDA-approved medicines to your door at half the price of traditional brands. “There are low-tech solutions to help,” he says. Chris Winter, MD, of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, and author of the book, The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It. If sleeping on your left side isn’t your go-to, you can actually train yourself to do this, says W. “They’re usually about six to eight inches tall and elevate the head of your bed,” she says. Chen, is to elevate the top of your bed with risers you can buy online to make a permanent incline. Because heartburn is more severe when you’re lying flat, he recommends either propping yourself up on pillows or getting a wedge pillow to help keep your body upright. In fact, according to a survey of 1,000 people who self-reported experiencing heartburn, more than 60 percent said it negatively affected their sleep.Īnother strategy that can help is sleeping with your head elevated, Dr. “For some folks who have significant reflux, it can wake them from sleep,” she says. Farhadi says.ĭepending on how severe your heartburn is, this can cause symptoms that range from being mildly uncomfortable to downright painful, says gastroenterologist Lea Ann Chen, MD, a gastroenterologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. So, where does sleep and sleeping position come into play where heartburn is concerned? “People usually sleep in a horizontal position, and gravity is not working to keep everything in the stomach like it does when you’re awake and upright,” Dr. Christopher Winter, MD, neurologist, sleep specialist and author of The Sleep Solution Lea Ann Chen, MD, Lea Ann Chen, MD, is a gastroenterologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.Ashkan Farhadi, MD, gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.With heartburn, the esophageal sphincter doesn’t close properly and some of the acidic contents from your stomach go into the esophagus, causing reflux and the symptoms of heartburn. The bottom of the esophagus has a valve called the esophageal sphincter, which opens to let food in and then closes to keep everything in your stomach inside. When you eat, food travels down your esophagus, which is a tube that connects your mouth and stomach, he says. Much of the reason why heartburn can actually be worse at night comes down to the reason for the heartburn in the first place, gastroenterologist Ashkan Farhadi, MD. And as far as what to do about it, they suggest considering the best and worst sleeping position for heartburn, and adjusting accordingly if need be. In fact, doctors and research agree that you're not imagining things if this is true for you. Semi-manageable, symptoms like a burning feeling in your chest, sore throat, and pain seem to be dialed up when you’re trying to sleep. Heartburn can be tough to deal with any time of day, but it can feel especially intense at night.
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