Lack of Sleep

Getting eight hours of sleep is sometimes more difficult to achieve than top ranking in an Ivy League school. Those eight hours are elusive for many of us for a variety of reasons, such as children, work, school and a myriad of other responsibilities, causing not only sleeplessness but also stress. But lack of sleep could be the cause or trigger behind your heartburn or acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), symptoms. So your sleep patterns are worth looking in to if you are suffering from pain or burning in the chest, pain lying down or any other typical heartburn or acid reflux/GERD symptoms.

Sleeplessness and fatigue can cause the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) valve between the stomach and the esophagus to function improperly, allowing the acid in your stomach to travel upward. This malfunction of the LES can lead to acid reflux/GERD. Lack of sleep and stress can also cause more acid to be formed in the stomach, which irritates the LES, allowing the acid to reach the esophagus and causing heartburn and acid reflux/GERD symptoms.

But lying down immediately after eating is not a good solution to your sleeping problem. This allows stomach acid to flow from the stomach into the esophagus causing heartburn or acid reflux/GERD symptoms like pain or burning in the chest.

Talk to a gastroenterologist about your lack of sleep or increases in stress, and ask about natural remedies as well as exercises that could help you get some sleep and remedy your heartburn or acid reflux/GERD symptoms.