Posts Tagged ‘stop nighttime heartburn’
Heartburn at Night is the Most Common
Many of the individuals who suffer from heartburn specifically suffer from nighttime heartburn. Nighttime heartburn occurs because when you are lying down there is less gravity affecting the sphincter of the stomach and it is easier for acid to escape and irritate the esophagus. This may occur because you have just eaten and are very full or for some reason you have a high pressure in your stomach.
Simple Ways to Prevent Nighttime Heartburn
You can prevent nighttime heartburn by not eating before you go to bed. It is recommended that your last meal should be about 2 to 3 hours before you go to sleep. Nighttime snacking is not going to help. Also you can switch your main meal from dinner to lunch so you have less food in your stomach at night and therefore less acid production and less pressure.
To keep acid production constant without fluctuations you can spread your meals out to 4 to 6 small meals during the day instead of 3 larger meals. This allows your body to digest your food more effectively and provides you with an even energy level throughout the day. There is another advantage to smaller meals and more of them during the day. You will increase your metabolism giving you more control over weight gain.
The Cause Maybe Just Certain Foods You are Eating
As with regular heartburn nighttime heartburn can be caused by the foods you are eating. You may find that you are experiencing nighttime heartburn after you eat certain foods. If this is the case then you need to avoid those foods or just not eat them at dinner or late in the day. Foods known to aggravate your stomach and cause heartburn include chocolate, beans, fruit juices, spicy foods, coffee and citrus fruits to name but a few.
Propping yourself up on pillows and sleeping on a slight incline can compensate for the change in gravity and stop nighttime heartburn. Another simple option is add a 2 to 3 inch blocks to the head of your bed to get the slight incline you need. Also it is scientifically proven the sleeping on your left side helps with digestion and sleeping on your right side will only increase your heartburn. Sleeping on the left also decreases stomach acid.
Avoid Tight or Restrictive Clothing
Sleeping in restrictive or tight clothing can make it difficult to digest food or increase pressure in your stomach and force acid into the esophagus. Also drinking alcohol late in the day and at night will relax your sphincter and increase acid production in the stomach promoting conditions for heartburn. It is possible to consume alcohol without getting heartburn but you may need to do this at a specific time of day or chose a specific type of alcohol that does not affect you as much.
If you are frequently suffering from heartburn then you should visit with your doctor as heartburn can turn into a more serious condition. Keep in mind that antacids can mask symptoms of other illness and is not recommended as a long-term solution.