How to sleep with acid reflux is becoming one of the most important sleep topics in the present world. Therefore, this article will tell you all you need to know to have a sound sleep.
Introduction
Sleeping can become extremely difficult with acid reflux, mostly when it attacks in the night. According to WebMD, “four out of five people suffer from constant heartburn.” Acid reflux comes with lots of pain, and it can grow to become uncomfortable for affected persons. Acid reflux can leave your mouth with a bitter taste and make sleeping very hard. Additionally, you might get plagued with excessive cough, choking, and heartburn. Having all of these symptoms mean you are fighting acid reflux.
Having all of these symptoms can make it difficult to sleep at night for many affected persons. Therefore, this article will discuss how to sleep with acid reflux. However, there are some basic things you have to know about acid reflux before moving forward.
What Causes Acid Reflux
Some individuals only know this as stomach acid, and you need to know it is not bad. Also, you need to know that acid reflux helps in the digestion of food.
Acid reflux is also known as stomach acid, and it helps with the digestion of foods. What makes it become a problem is when it escapes through the stomach barrier. What this means is that the acid has moved to a place it is not needed. The movement can go as far as deep into the esophagus lining. It can sometimes find its way into the lungs, sinuses, and throat of the individual. Therefore, it is safe to say; stomach acid should never leave the stomach. However, when this happens, one has to make sure it does not affect sleep.
Why Acid Reflux Symptoms Become Intense At Night
Acid reflux doesn't affect individuals during the day because of gravity and the way humans are formed. When an individual stands upright, it makes it hard for the acid to travel up the body. The saliva also helps in returning the acid to the stomach when standing upright.
Symptoms of acid reflux become lesser because it is unable to find its way up, unlike when sleeping. Additionally, humans rarely swallow when they are sleeping. Therefore, this makes it hard to push the acid back down to the stomach.
How to Sleep with Acid Reflux
The case of acid reflux is different when night time comes. No matter how best your sleeping ritual is, you might still find it hard to sleep with this condition. Sometimes, your sleeping position can alter how your esophagus is positioned. In a case where your esophagus moves below the stomach, it will cause for free movement of the acid.
In this case, the acid can move to the lungs, throat, and sometimes stay in the sinuses. When it stays there, it becomes difficult for your body to function normally at the time. Also, when acid reflux escapes the stomach, there is a possibility of danger to your throat. According to Sleepscore labs, “if you have acid reflux at night, there is an 11-fold increased risk of developing esophageal cancer than those without nighttime acid reflux.”
Knowing how to sleep at night with this condition should be something you pay attention to. Also, your sleep position plays a role in how you feel the symptoms. Symptoms can increasingly become aggravated when you don't sleep correctly. The good news that comes with this is that your sleeping position can also minimize the symptoms drastically.
Now，let's get the best way to sleep with acid reflux.
1.Sleeping Positions to Avoid When You Have Acid Reflux
Avoid Sleeping with Your Back
Mr. A's best sleeping position may not work for Mr. B when it comes to acid reflux. If you know you are prone to having acid reflux at night, avoid sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your back will make it easy to give room for the escaped stomach acid. The acid will have a free flow passage to your esophagus whenever you choose to sleep on your back. The acid does not just move over the esophagus; it stays there and causes damage.
According to sleep score labs, studies have shown that people who sleep on their backs tend to have potent symptoms. Symptoms will become aggravated because the acid has no place to go. People with excess stomach fat are at risk of having symptoms of acid reflux on a larger scale. Reasons for this being that the fat squeezes the stomach, which then releases stomach acid. These set of people have an increased rate of symptoms when they sleep on their back. The best advice for people with this condition is to never sleep on their back.
Do not sleep on your right side
The moment you choose to sleep flat on your right side, you will have an increased symptom of acid reflux. The esophagus lies below the stomach when you sleep in this position forcing out the acid reflux. Your stomach will have more risk of leaking acid reflux when your stomach is also full.
Additionally, you are at a risk of regurgitation and coughing when you lie on your right side. In this case, the acid reflux comes out in a more liquid form, resulting in the above symptoms. Therefore, the acid stays for a longer period in the esophagus since you are sleeping against gravity. Overall, sleeping on your right-hand side is bad for you.
Sleeping on your left side
Gravity plays an important role when you sleep with your left side. When you sleep in this position, you will have your esophagus above your stomach. Therefore, the acid finds it hard to escape from the stomach. Also, in this case, gravity will help to return the reflux faster into the stomach, unlike sleeping on your right hand where you are sleeping against gravity.
When you sleep on the left, the acid reflux comes out in a gaseous form, which makes the symptoms potency minimized. Over the years, studies have shown that the potency of acid reflux reduces on the left side. Therefore, you will find it easier to sleep on your left side without complications.
Body Propping and How It Helps
You might have at a time been advised by your doctors to sleep in an inclined position. Sometimes you may need to position your bed with a wedge or blocks. When you do this, it makes you sleep in an inclined position. Therefore, you will find that acid reflux symptoms become minimized.
Additionally, it means propping your body helps to return the acid to the stomach faster. With this position, you will have your torso elevated, and gravity will get a boost. The best part of inclining your sleeping position is the speed at which the acid returns to the stomach.
Sleeping on the Left and Inclining
When you amalgamate the left side sleeping with an incline position, you will have the benefits that come with the two. You might wonder how this could be possible. The truth is you can make it happen. All you need to do is sleep with your left-hand side while your bed is also inclined. Based on studies, sleeping with this style makes it almost impossible to get Acid reflux during the night.
The esophagus in this position rises above every of your stomach contents. What makes this so beneficial is the effect of gravity when you have acid reflux. The acid reflux is quickly returned to the stomach when there is a case of reflux. With a position like this, you will have yourself a longer protection time for reflux. This position puts your sinuses, lungs, and throat at safety from acid reflux.
Therefore, you need to understand that there are many benefits attached to sleeping with your left side. The inclining on your bed also serves as a relief system that helps to nullify acid reflux.
Read more, Sleeping Positions – Personality Traits & Effects on Health.
2. Foods You Can't Eat Before Bed.
According to a Mayo Clinic publication, you also need to stay away from some types of food that can increase acid reflux.
- Fries can increase your reflux rate
- Excess tomatoes
- Too much alcohol intake
- Excessive chocolate
- Garlic
- Too much intake of coffee
Staying away from these foods will make the secretion of acid reflux to be minimal while sleeping. The reduction of acid reflux will make it hard to leak out the acid. To get a good sleep because while battling, Acid reflux also involves weight loss. When your weight is reduced, there will be a reduction in your belly fat. Reducing the belly fat will mean there will be no squeezing of acid reflux out of your stomach.
Related, 15 Best Foods To Eat Before Bed For Better Sleep.
3.Other Effective Ways
Additionally, you might opt for a change in your lifestyle so you can reduce the impact of acid reflux.
Although some people may require treatment before they can get rid of their acid reflux, treatment using OTC, or sometimes prescription drugs all play a role in the quality of sleep you get.
Also, there are triggers like:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Coca-Cola
- Citruses
- Drinks with Caffeine
- Get rid of overly spicy foods.
Conclusion
Anyone must get a good sleep for effective productivity. You will have to keep all of the information in this article seriously to have the best result against your acid reflux.
Click here, and you will know why sleep is so important.
