This Is the Very Best Side to Sleep On If You Have Acid Reflux, According to a G.I. Doc

If you’ve ever had acid reflux at night, you know just how painful it can be. It’s virtually impossible to fall asleep when you’re experiencing it. Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid flows backward into the esophagus and throat. It inflames the tissues inside the esophagus and can cause a burning sensation to occur in your esophagus. Sometimes, it’s accompanied by heartburn, a burning sensation in your chest. Not fun, right?

Here’s the good news: Changing your evening routine and sleeping position can decrease symptoms of acid reflux. Here’s how to do it, according to a gastroenterologist.

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The Best Evening Routine for People With Acid Reflux

If you’re prone to experiencing acid reflux, what you eat and drink in the evening matters—a lot. “People that experience reflux at night should try to avoid eating anything two to three hours before they lay down to sleep,” says Dr. Shilpa Mehra Dang, MD, a double board-certified gastroenterologist and internal medicine doctor with Medical Offices of Manhattan and contributor to LabFinder. Having your dinner a few hours before you go to bed gives the body time to digest it, reducing the risk of reflux and heartburn.

Related: 10 Weird and Surprising Symptoms of Acid Reflux, From Skin Issues to Refquent Burping

Dr. Dang also recommends avoiding a heavy meal if you’re prone to reflux. This is because large meals cause the stomach to expand, which puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter. The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscle that stops stomach acid from traveling backward, up the esophagus. Avoiding putting pressure on this muscle helps keep stomach acid from traveling in the wrong direction.

Related: Have These 3 Drinks on Hand if You Want a Little Heartburn Relief 

Spicy foods and fried foods at dinner are also a no-go if you regularly experience acid reflux at night, according to Dr. Dang. There are other more unexpected foods to avoid too. She says that tomato sauce, vinaigrette dressings and anything citrusy can all trigger reflux. Alcoholic drinks can make symptoms worse too.

The Best Sleeping Position If You Get Acid Reflux At Night

Ready to get to bed? First, Dr. Dang says to prop up your pillow so that your chest, neck and head are slightly elevated. “It helps because of gravity! When the chest is elevated, it is harder for the acid to reflux up the esophagus,” she says. One scientific study found that sleeping at a slight incline in this way can help decrease symptoms of GERD (chronic acid reflux). Another study showed this too, showing that participants who elevated the upper part of their body 20 centimeters experienced less reflux symptoms than participants who slept flat, with no incline.

You may not think it matters if you sleep on your back, stomach, left side or right side, but Dr. Dang says it 100 percent does. If you experience reflux at night, she says the best sleeping position is on your left side. “This position makes it harder for the acid to reflux up because on the left side, the stomach looks like a half crescent and the acid is able to pool at the bottom of the crescent, making it less likely than in the other positions for the acid to reflux up the esophagus,” she explains. Scientific research backs this up showing that sleeping on the left side approved symptoms in people with GERD.

Related: From Melon and Honey to Coffee and Spicy Foods, Here Are the Best and Worst Foods for Acid Reflux

If you are experiencing acid reflux regularly, it’s worth it to see your healthcare provider or a gastroenterologist who can help you get to the bottom of why you are experiencing these symptoms. They may recommend a special diet to follow for a certain period of time to help your esophagus heal and to minimize symptoms. With their help, your reflux will hopefully go away for good and you can go back to sleeping in whatever position is most comfortable to you.

It’s encouraging to know that you can minimize your reflux symptoms by tweaking your evening routine and sleeping position. There’s no reason not to try it! Of course, if your symptoms continue, see your healthcare provider. Together, you can work toward making reflux an annoyance of the past.

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Related: Could Acid Reflux Be the Cause of Your Back Pain?

Sources

• Dr. Shilpa Mehra Dang, MD, double board-certified gastroenterologist and internal medicine doctor with Medical Offices of Manhattan and contributor to LabFinder
• Acid Reflux & GERD. Cleveland Clinic
• Change How You Eat to Help Reduce Acid Reflux. Northwestern Medicine
• Is alcohol consumption associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease? Journal of Zhejiang University Science B. 2010
• Effect of bed head elevation during sleep in symptomatic patients of nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2012
• Left lateral decubitus sleeping position is associated with improved gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World Journal of Clinical Cases. 2023