Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Sunday, September 21, 2008 judy asks

Q: any thoughts on getting to sleep at night?

i am having trouble getting comfortable enough at night to sleep and i am up and down at night alot because i keep having reflux no matter what i do.
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9/23/08 6:01pm

Hey Judy,

 

Some common suggestions include:

 

* After meals, take a walk or, at the very least, remain upright.
* Avoid bedtime snacks. In general, avoid eating for at least two hours prior to bedtime.
* When going to bed, try lying on the left side rather than on the right. The stomach is located higher than the esophagus when a person sleeps on the right side, which can put pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), increasing the risk for fluid back-up.
* Sleep in a tilted position to help keep acid in the stomach at night. To do this, raise the bed at an angle using four -to six- inch blocks at the head of the bed and use a wedge-support to elevate the top half of the body. (Extra pillows that only raise the head actually increase the risk for reflux.)

 

You can click here for more information on preventing reflux.

 

 

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