Elevate your pillow, avoid eating dinner late and being too full, and don’t drink carbonated drinks or coffee before going to bed to help control symptoms of acid reflux at night.
The stomach always contains acid, even when fasting. Acid reflux or heartburn is a painful, burning sensation that occurs when acid moves from the stomach into the esophagus. Some people have gastroesophageal reflux, which causes the valve connecting the esophagus and stomach to weaken. This allows fluid containing digestive acids and enzymes to leak back into the esophagus.
The esophageal mucosa that is exposed to these liquids for a long time can become irritated, creating a burning sensation like heartburn. Severe reflux causes stomach acid or contents to flow into the lungs, which can lead to coughing, asthma, and pneumonia.
Reflux symptoms may increase during sleep. The cause may be eating too late, close to bedtime. In a lying position, body gravity makes it easier for stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus. Diet and food intake can also be triggers. Some lifestyle changes can help patients reduce reflux and maintain better sleep at night.
Avoid having late dinner
People with this condition should not eat dinner too late or go to bed immediately after eating. Stand or walk gently for at least 3-4 hours after a meal or light snack. Eating several small meals throughout the day instead of one large meal in the evening can also help.
Sleep on left side
This position helps reduce symptoms of heartburn at night. It also allows gravity to promote the smooth movement of waste through the large intestine. Place a pillow between your knees to stabilize your spine and avoid pain.
Elevate your head when sleeping
To prevent acid from being pushed up into the esophagus in a lying position, sleeping with a pillow elevated is the simplest way. Raise your sleeping pillow about 10-15 cm more, use a specialized pillow or put many thin pillows underneath for comfort.
Consider taking medication
Some over-the-counter pain relievers can help relieve this condition. People who are taking some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should also talk to their doctor if acid reflux gets worse.
Control food intake
In addition to eating smaller meals, avoid foods that can cause reflux problems close to bedtime. These include drinking alcohol, caffeinated or carbonated drinks, and high-acid fruits or vegetables such as pineapple, oranges, tangerines, lemons, and tomatoes.
Other lifestyle changes
Obese people and smokers also have a high risk of stomach acid reflux. Therefore, to reduce symptoms, patients need to quit smoking, lose weight by exercising and eating healthy.
Acid reflux that has long-term effects on sleep also needs to be checked early. Waking up repeatedly at night due to heartburn can also be a sign of a more serious health problem. Left untreated, this condition can lead to ulcers, scarring, and eventually esophageal cancer.