Nighttime heartburn not only disrupts your sleep but also negatively affects daytime productivity, impairing your ability to function, focus, and concentrate. Eight out of ten heartburn sufferers experience heartburn symptoms at night. Others get the worst part: heartburn during sleep.
Heartburn during daytime is one thing. But waking up with heartburn is another. Find nighttime heartburn relief with these tips:
Eat right. Plan your dinner – and the rest of your menu – around a light, low-acid diet. Have better and healthier options than acidic, spicy, and non-fatty foods. The DON’Ts of heartburn-safe menu are:
• High-fat foods. Fatty and greasy foods stay longer in the stomach, which essentially cause more discomfort for many heartburn sufferers.
• Acidic foods. Which include a seemingly healthy dish of tomatoes and anything tomato-based. Other heartburn no-nos are citrus fruits, such as lemons, grapefruits, and oranges.
• Drinks that trigger heartburn. And these include some of our all-time fave: carbonated drinks, alcoholic beverages, and caffeinated drinks.
• Chocolate. This temptation contains caffeine, which relaxes the LES making heartburn more likely. Eating more than the recommended serving is definitely a no-no.
• Spicy foods. Anything peppery and showered with hot sauce provokes heartburn. Other items you need to include in your watch list are peppermint, onions, and garlic.
For dinner, try to limit your plate and palate with healthy alternatives, such as those that are prepared healthier (baked, broiled, or grilled), lean cuts of meat, and herbal teas or just plain water.
Savor foods. Managing heartburn is not only about eating the right foods but also eating it right. The best way to keep heartburn at bay? Take time to really taste your food. Don’t eat too quickly; multi-tasking while having dinner is definitely a no-no for heartburn nighttime sufferers. Don’t tackle your plate like some last-minute project.
To prevent nighttime heartburn, remember to:
• Schedule your meal
• Eat at least two hours before bedtime
• Avoid nightcap
• Eat more smaller meals than three large ones
• Watch food portions
• Avoid midnight or even bedtime snacks
Dress properly. Donning on tight clothes can trigger heartburn. Steer clear of anything with tight waistbands and belts. This probably should not be a problem if you’re heading to bed. But make sure that you wear only heartburn-safe clothes during daytime.
Relax more often. Stress essentially fuels stomach acid production, encouraging heartburn symptoms. Meditating or doing yoga poses is a better, healthier way to end the day than succumbing to stress eating after a long day at work.
Keep a food journal. By keeping track of your eating habits and activities, you can easily and accurately determine what triggers your heartburn and what doesn’t.
Exercise safely. Two things heartburn sufferers need to remember when exercising: First, don’t workout immediately after a meal and, second, drink plenty of water.
Sleep correctly. Research shows that sleeping on the left actually aids digestion by encouraging the removal of stomach acids. Lying on the right side, on the other hand, has been shown to aggravate heartburn.
If you lay flat on your back, make sure that you sleep with your shoulders and head elevated. You can do this by either using a wedge pillow or placing sturdy blocks under the bedpost to raise your head.
