30 Days to Better Sleep: Avoid Heartburn at Night

<p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/sleepdisorders/1/9/h/1/-/-/Heartburn.jpg" alt="Getty Images" /></p> <p>There are few things as miserable as waking with the discomfort of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/causesofsleepdisorder1/a/Heartburn_and_Sleep.htm">heartburn</a>. As you make progress in sleeping better, one of the key milestones is avoiding heartburn at night.</p> <p>Heartburn goes by many names: reflux, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, GERD, water brash, acid indigestion, or pyrosis. It all amounts to the same thing, however. The esophagus is a muscular tube that extends from the mouth to the stomach. At the connection between the esophagus and the stomach is a muscular ring called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This cincture is meant to close and keep the contents of the stomach from regurgitating back into the esophagus or mouth. When the lower esophageal sphincter becomes weak, or the acidity of the stomach excessive, heartburn occurs.</p> <p>People who suffer heartburn can list the inciting culprits: coffee, tomato products, citrus, chocolate, fatty foods, peppermint, and alcohol. A glass of orange juice, a spicy dinner, a few pints of beer; these are the stuff of a night of indigestion. Many of these foods actually cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax and become leaky. How can this be avoided? The mos...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news