Sleeping upright or leaning to the left helps control the symptoms of gastric and duodenal ulcers, helping you sleep better.
Doctor Vu Truong Khanh, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said that gastric and duodenal ulcers are a common gastrointestinal disease, which has tended to increase in recent years. This is due to unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits.
Common symptoms of gastric and duodenal ulcers are burning, gnawing, and pain in the abdominal area above the navel (epigastric area). Depending on the severity of the pain, it can last from a few minutes to several hours. Usually the pain is more intense when the stomach is empty and does not contain food. Patients also often have more pain at night, affecting their sleep.
Some of the habits below help sleep well, reduce pain symptoms, and improve gastric and duodenal ulcers, according to Dr. Khanh.
Limit eating and drinking before bed
Stomach pain often appears in the middle of the night because the patient has the habit of eating at irregular times and not ensuring nutrition. Being hungry or eating too much increases stomach acid and worsens ulcers. Drinking alcohol and drinks containing caffeine before bed also contributes to stomach pain and reduces sleep quality.
To overcome this situation, patients should eat enough meals and on time. Do not eat dinner after 8:00 p.m. because after this time the food has not been completely consumed, which can cause stomach cramps, bloating, and discomfort. Cut down on late night snacks and drinks, limit sour, spicy foods, and foods that are difficult to digest such as fried foods.
Doctor Khanh advises patients on treatment. Image: Tam Anh General Hospital
Create a comfortable sleeping space
The bedroom needs to be dark, quiet, away from electronic devices such as televisions, computers, phones, tablets… Blue light emitted from electronic device screens inhibits the brain and hinders The production of the hormone melatonin causes sleepiness. A decrease in this hormone causes patients to toss and turn and have poor sleep quality.
Relax your mind before sleeping
The digestive system is controlled by the enteric nervous system, which communicates with the central nervous system. Stress in the body causes the central nervous system to shut off blood flow, affecting the contractions of the digestive muscles, reducing secretions necessary for digestion, and stagnating the digestive process.
Stress causes the stomach to be more active than usual, leading to more acid secretion and further damage to the mucosa. Stress and fatigue before going to bed can lead to spasms in the esophagus, increase stomach acid, and cause indigestion.
Patients need to avoid activities that cause excessive stress before bed such as working or looking at the phone for many hours continuously. Instead, you should relax and unwind yourself to ease stomach pain and help you fall asleep more quickly and comfortably.
Sleep upright or on your left side
An upright sleeping position with comfortable legs can control the movement of acid in the stomach and alleviate ulcer symptoms. Besides, lying on the left side supports digestive and food absorption activities, improving waste excretion the next morning. Thanks to that, people with gastrointestinal diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux and duodenal ulcers reduce heartburn symptoms.
Dr. Khanh explained that when the body leans to the left, food from the stomach and digestive enzymes go to the small and large intestines more conveniently. The junction of the esophagus and stomach is kept at a higher position than normal, so the acidic digestive juices in the stomach cannot reflux.
Go to bed early and get enough sleep
Staying up late regularly has a negative impact on health in general and the digestive system in particular. Dr. Khanh recommends sleeping before 11 p.m., getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. You should sleep and wake up at fixed times during the day. This consistent routine creates a rhythm that is good for sleep and overall health.