yIf heartburn is literally giving you nightmares then you’re certainly not alone. 10% of Americans suffer from heartburn every single day and our clients often report that symptoms tend to worsen throughout the night. If you fall into that 10% then you can blame gravity for this one. When you’re up and about during the day, food moves easily through your digestive tract, but once you lie down you lose that extra helping hand from gravity and this is when heartburn can set in.
Heartburn is one of the primary symptoms of acid reflux and GERD, so ultimately you have to treat these in order to get rid of it completely. However, your body NEEDS stomach acid in order to digest the food you eat.
Low Stomach Acid
Low stomach acid is actually the primary cause of most cases of acid reflux and GERD. This is because the lower esophageal sphincter muscle, which is responsible for keeping the contents of the stomach within the stomach, receives the signal to close from your stomach acid. Without this signal, your LES won’t close properly after you eat, and this is how you end up with acid reflux, often leading to the intense discomfort of heartburn.
To resolve this problem, you need to ensure that you have sufficient levels of stomach acid and that it stays in your gut. To do this, you need to reintroduce acid into your stomach with a supplement containing Betaine HCI, which is a key component of the Reflux Inhibitor in our Heartburn Relief Kit. This will get the LES working properly again and nip your acid reflux – and your heartburn – in the bud for good.
But, first things first, you want a good night’s sleep TONIGHT, right? Of course you do. Experiencing that terrible burning sensation of heartburn in the early hours and being unable to find a comfortable position to sit or sleep in is truly a miserable experience. Over the years, we’ve collected a lot of research and information in our studies and experiences in dealing with clients in this regard, and that’s what I’m doing to share with you today. So let’s get to it!
Sleep On Your Left Side
Studies have shown that sleeping on your left side can ease heartburn discomfort as gravity (yep we’re back to that one!) will work in your favor. Sleeping in this position will position your stomach below your esophagus, which will help prevent acid reflux from occurring. If any acid DOES seep through, gravity will ensure it flows back down into your stomach faster than if you were sleeping on your back or your right side.
Elevate Your Head/Upper Body
You know all those fancy bed throw-pillows you never actually use when you’re going to sleep? It might be time to start using them! When you go to sleep lying flat, you’re basically giving your acid a free invite to flow up into your esophagus and give you heartburn. It’s best to sleep with your upper body elevated and you can do this by using a wedge pillow (or those throw pillows if you’re in a pinch. These aren’t ideal but they’ll do until you get your wedge pillow sorted), or by raising the head of your head with a few books or blocks.
Throw Out Those Tight PJs
Sleeping in tight clothes is just going to aggravate your heartburn even more, especially around the waist. Try to avoid restrictive clothing in bed and stick with comfortable, loose-fitting PJs that take the pressure off your stomach as you sleep.
Avoid Late-Night Meals
Eating right before bedtime is a surefire way to set your chest on fire. Larger meals will put pressure on your stomach and, as I said earlier, gravity will not be your friend in this case. If you must eat before bed, try to avoid fatty or fried foods and go for a smaller meal and give yourself at least 2 hours before hitting the hay.
Practice Mindful Eating
Many of us are guilty of eating too fast, but eating when you’re stressed or rushing will make it harder for your gut to digest your food. Practice mindful eating by taking the time to sit down, eat slowly, and chew your food. It also helps to have some time to relax after your meal (but not lying down!).
Monitor Your Weight
Weight gain can lead to extra pressure on your stomach which pushes acid back up into your esophagus. If you do feel that you’re at an unhealthy weight, bringing this down will help to manage your heartburn in general, not just at night.
Treat The Root Cause Of Your Heartburn For Good
All of these tips will help to manage your heartburn symptoms, but if you really want to get rid of these issues for good then you need to target the root cause with a targeted supplement regimen.
Our Heartburn Relief Kit combines our Reflux Inhibitor with our Acid Relief supplement to get your LES functioning correctly to prevent reflux and also provide relief from the symptoms whilst you treat the root cause.
The goal of the Heartburn Relief Kit is to eliminate your acid reflux for good so that you don’t have to worry about heartburn at any time of the day or night!
Get 30% off our Heartburn Relief Kit now with this custom code for our readers: nightheartburn30 and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook where we can answer any questions you have about your treatment plan.