3 Tips To Reduce Acid Reflux At Night

If you’ve ever experienced acid reflux at night, you know how uncomfortable it can be to try to fall asleep with this radiating pain and discomfort. Luckily, there are quite a few things you can try to help alleviate any acid reflux you might be dealing with, especially as you get ready to go to sleep each night.

To help you find some solutions that might work for you, here are three tips to help reduce acid reflux symptoms at night. 

Prop Yourself Up More

Acid reflux happens when the food you’ve eaten doesn’t stay in your stomach and tries to move back up to your esophagus. What can make this more pronounced are the positions in which you’re sleeping, as laying down can often feel like gravity is working against you.

To combat this, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that you try either sleeping on your left side or sleeping with your upper body slightly elevated. When you sleep on your left side rather than your right side, the muscle of your esophageal sphincter is able to relax more, which can cut down on the acid reflux you’re feeling. If this doesn’t work, you can always use a few memory foam pillows to prop up your head and chest so you’re sleeping a little more upright. 

Avoid The Wrong Foods At Dinner

To attack more of the source of the problem rather than just the symptoms of it, you may want to be a bit more conscientious about what foods you’re eating in the later part of the day. Some foods will generally cause more acid to be produced in your body, which can make acid reflux more apparent.

According to Harvard Medical School, some of the most common foods that people find exacerbating their acid reflux include mint, spicy foods, fatty foods, chocolate, coffee, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and alcohol. So if you’re particularly concerned about getting acid reflux when you lay down to sleep at night, try to avoid eating foods that contain these ingredients during your dinner. 

Don’t Go To Sleep On A Full Stomach

Not only should you concern yourself with the type of food you’re eating, but you’re also going to want to make sure that you’re eating the right food at the right time. 

When not given enough time to digest properly after a meal, you might have a greater chance of your acid reflux kicking in once you relax in bed. But if you don’t eat any closer than about three hours before you plan to go to bed, Dr. Atli Arnarson, a contributor to Healthline.com, shares that you could have better luck not getting acid reflux that night. 

If you’ve been dealing with nighttime acid reflux, consider using the tips mentioned above to keep this at bay so you can get some restful sleep.

Kelly Tate