Acid Reflux And Sleeping On Your Stomach by:Jim Kesel
If you are like some people that prefer to sleep on their stomachs or tend to do
so during their normal sleep cycle you also may increase your risk of acid reflux problems then you have a real problem. I know as I tend to have this problem. For me it usually starts sometime after midnight where I have rolled over in my sleep on to my stomach. Suddenly I am awakened by acid reflux and puke in my mouth causing me to gag. I quickly sit up and head to the bathroom to wash my mouth out. However the damage is already done and my throat is really raw and burning. After washing my mouth out I will use a Crystal Lite or some similar sugar free drink to get the awful taste out of my mouth. Just plain nasty business.
This is not a chronic problem for me but it occurs enough times that I frequently have to plan how I am going to sleep. That means placing pillows in such a manner to impede my ability to roll over on to my stomach. If I have a couple of these episodes during a week then I go to plan B which is sleeping in my recliner. By sleeping on your stomach you may place excessive pressure on you lower esophageal sphincter muscle (LES) and your stomach causing it to leak stomach acid up your esophagus. In some cases it may just explode past the LES quickly filling your throat and mouth with stomach acid and undigested food. Sleeping on ones back slightly inclined will greatly reduce the risk of acid reflux problems. If you sense that you may have symptoms of an impending acid reflux heartburn attack then it is prudent to take a long lasting over the counter antacid like Pepcid prior to retiring for the night. However you should not get into the habit of taking an antacid each night before bed as there can be long term side affects associated with this practice.
I find that stress is a factor in these infrequent attacks and so I tend try to reduce it as much as possible. For most people this is easier said than done. Of course eating the right foods and exercise are also very important in reducing my stress and my acid reflux. I also try not to load up on a lot of liquids before heading for the sack or if I wake up with dry mouth during the night taking just a few sips of water to reduce the chances of another attack. I also keep a couple of antacid tablets on my night stand to ward off a possible second attack.
Living with acid reflux heartburn is not pleasant but you can manage your symptoms if you plan and use the right techniques.