Heartburn and Indigestion When Lying Down

Do you have heartburn and indigestion when lying down? Learn about how you can prevent this from happening with a few easy tips.

Why you have heartburn when you lay down.

Heartburn happens when acid from the stomach enters the esophagus. This usually happens because the lower esophagael sphincter relaxes, which allows the gastric juices to travel up. The burning feeling you get is due to irritation of the lining of the esophagus because it is not made to handle the acidity of your stomach juices. A simple and easy explanation for why you experience heartburn when you lay down is because gravity is working against you. When you are laying horizontally, the acid from your stomach can enter your esophagus very easily.

What can you do to prevent heartburn when laying down.

The easiest and the most sensible thing to do is to wait at least 2 hours after meals before laying down. This is really important because after you eat a meal is when your stomach acid is going into overdrive to digest your food. If you lay down, that acid is going to travel up and you are going to have heartburn. If you have heartburn when you go to sleep at night, then try to eat your last meal at least 2 hours before bedtime. You should also use a wedge pillow to help you sleep comfortably.

Use a special reflux pillow wedge to sleep better at night.

There are specially designed wedge pillows that are made specifically for people who have problems with heartburn at night. Whether you have acid reflux disease or occasional heartburn because of a big meal or even pregnancy, these pillows can really help. In many cases they will totally eliminate your heartburn when you lay down. They work so well because they provide a 6 to 8 inch slope from the bottom of your stomach to the top of your head. This provides enough slope to prevent stomach acid from traveling up into the esophagus. They are also made from a special memory foam wedge and they were designed by a gastroenterologist so they really do work.

Amazon has a great selection of wedge pillows and you can read the reviews to see what other people have to say. Medslant is one of the pillows that many recommend. It has been around for several years and the price is very reasonable. Try one of these pillows so that you can get a better night of sleep or at least a better nap during the day.

Try a homeopathic remedy.

There are also many natural herbal remedies that people swear by to cure their acid reflux. This would be something that you can substitute for the usual over-the-counter remedies or prescriptions. Native Remedies has a homeopathic remedy called Acid-Free Flux that can be used to treath acid reflux and heartburn symptoms. I've used some of their products and I highly recommend them. Their products are all natural and non-addictive so you can feel good about putting it into your body. They also offer an awesome one year guarantee. Check out the Native Remedies website and read the testimonials to see if it's something that can work for you.