Acid Reflux Sleep On Side

Sleep with the upper body raised.

Acid reflux sleep on side.

It s not right for acid reflux position 2 to avoid at night is sleeping flat on your right side. Keep in mind that right is the wrong side to sleep on. Switching to a better side. Studies show that sleeping on your left side is better for acid reflux whereas right side sleeping is associated with longer esophageal acid exposure and high incidence of lower esophageal sphincter relaxation.

This is especially true when your stomach is full. Sleeping on the left side helps in reducing symptoms of heartburn occurring at night. Research from the journal of clinical gastroenterology has shown a higher likelihood of acid reflux from sleeping on the right side. Others believe that because of the way our stomach is shaped that sleeping on the left side positions the opening of the esophagus above the stomach on an upward angle preventing acid from reaching it.

When lying flat on your right side your stomach is actually above your esophagus creating a leaky faucet spouting stomach acid into the delicate lining of your esophagus. Johnson md internal medicine division chief at eastern virginia school of medicine. Learn more about ways to improve digestion here. This position seems to help reduce nighttime heartburn symptoms says david a.

In this article we discuss the science behind acid reflux and sleep as well as the key tips to sleeping with your upper body elevated. Sleeping on the left side as a right back or stomach sleeping position typically encourages more reflux gerd and sleep apnea research shows that a relationship exists between obstructive sleep apnea osa and gerd. Sleeping on your back is also preferential to right side sleeping especially if you use pillows to prop your head up. What experts agree on is that left side sleeping is the best for reducing acid reflux.

Studies have shown that left side sleeping has a tendency to calm heartburn perhaps because it keeps the les above the level of acid in your stomach.