Heartburn is not only uncomfortable, for many sufferers the unintentional reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus even causes extreme pain in the chest. Those who struggle with heartburn or acid regurgitation at night not only lose their nerves but also valuable sleep. Here are some tips to prevent heartburn at night.
Heartburn occurs when corrosive gastric juice flows unhindered into the esophagus. There are a number of reasons for this. Some foods, for example, stimulate the increased production of stomach acid. Those who consume a lot of coffee or nicotine sometimes suffer from heartburn more often. Eating particularly fatty foods also hits the stomach. Because fats are digested much more slowly, fatty foods stay in the stomach longer, and the longer your stomach has to process the chyme, the more likely it is for painful acid reflux into the esophagus.
Heartburn is particularly annoying when we actually want to relax. Nocturnal heartburn robs those affected of sleep and is doubly exhausting for the body. But there are a few tips that can help if your stomach is bubbling again and you can’t sleep at night.
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1. Change position
Those affected find heartburn at night to be particularly painful and uncomfortable. The reason for this is the changed body position. When we sit or stand during the day, gravity counteracts the rising gastric juice. Unfortunately, we cannot count on the support of gravity in a lying position at night. If you have heartburn at night while lying in bed, corrosive stomach acid flows more easily into your esophagus, where it also drains more slowly. So change your position and straighten your upper body. As a result, the gastric juice flows faster back to where it belongs. To minimize the risk of nocturnal heartburn, it is advisable to sleep on the left side. Because the stomach has its entrance on the upper right side, stomach acid flows more easily into the esophagus in right-hand sleepers than in left-hand sleepers.
2. Stop eating before bedtime
Heartburn is also caused, among other things, by pressure on the stomach. In particularly overweight people, the weight of the abdomen presses on the stomach and promotes painful reflux. However, if there is too much internal pressure in the stomach itself, stomach acid can also rise up into the esophagus. If you fill your stomach with a hearty meal just a few hours before bedtime, you risk heartburn. It is therefore best to eat your last meal of the day three hours before you go to sleep. This gives your stomach enough time to properly digest and pass on the food.
3. It is better not to consume any stimulants in the evening
Unfortunately, stimulants strongly stimulate the production of stomach acid. Alcohol, coffee, tea and chocolate cause excess gastric juices to form. In addition, stimulants such as alcohol have a relaxing effect on the muscles. It also means that the esophageal sphincter relaxes, allowing gastric juice to flow more easily into the esophagus. So it is better to avoid consuming stimulants in the evening if you want to fall asleep and sleep through the night.
4. Lukewarm water or chamomile tea before bedtime
One of the most popular home remedies for heartburn is low-acid, stomach-friendly tea. Drink a fresh chamomile tea about an hour before bedtime. Fennel tea and other herbal teas also have anti-inflammatory properties and soothe your irritated stomach lining. Additionally, the tea helps dilute the acid in your stomach. The corrosive effect of the gastric juice is then reduced. If you don’t have herbal tea at hand, a lukewarm glass of water will do. While water doesn’t soothe your stomach lining as much as herbal teas, you can still get the thinning effect with water.
