Many people find that their heartburn gets worse at nite. You’ve just had a late supper, gone to bed, and then you get the burning in your chest or the sour taste that rises up the back of the throat. This pattern is especially common if you have a hiatal hernia.
What do you do when you lay down
Gravity helps keep the contents of the stomach where they belong in the day. Lying flat takes that advantage away. With a hiatal hernia, the valve between your esophagus and stomach is already weakened somewhat, allowing acid to splash back up more easily.
The problem of a late dinner
It takes hours to empty a full stomach. If you go to sleep right after you eat, the acid and food are still there as you lie down. Heavy, oily or spicy dinners make this worse as they take longer to digest.
Good habits
- Eat at least 3 hours before going to bed.
- Have a light dinner like khichdi, soup or dal with roti
- Avoid late nite tea, coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks
- Don’t have a snack at midnight, especially fried or sugary foods
- Take a gentle walk after dinner, rather than going straight to sleep
Alter your sleeping position
Use blocks under the bedposts or a wedge pillow to raise the head of your bed 6 to 8 inches. Stacking regular pillows usually bends the waist and may not help. Sleeping on your left side is also said to decrease reflux for some people.
Other contributions:
Tight clothing, excess weight, smoking, and alcohol can all make night-time symptoms worse. Small improvements in any of these areas can bring significant relief.
Signs of warning
See a doctor if you wake up choking, have trouble swallowing, lose weight without trying, or have chest pain. These symptoms should not be ignored as mere acidity.
Long-term reflux can inflame the food pipe if it is not treated. If you are having disturbed nights, regularly consult hernia surgeon in Indore to know if your hiatal hernia requires any further tests or intervention other than lifestyle changes.
The secret is to be consistent. A lighter dinner earlier can feel like a small change but usually provides the biggest boost to sleep and comfort. If the symptoms continue, a thorough evaluation by a reliable hernia specialist in Indore can help decide the next step.
