Sleep on your left side to ease indigestion, experts say

Suffering from indigestion after stuffing yourself with holiday leftovers?

Sleeping on your left side can greatly reduce reflux, according to the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research.

Digestive or gastrointestinal issues — such as indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, gas, heartburn, and acid reflux — are common around the holidays.

“The gut thrives in routine, especially when it comes to sleep, exercise, and meals,” Erin Judge, a registered dietitian nutritionist, gut health expert, and founder of Gutivate, recently told The Everygirl.

“The holiday season throws off routines, thanks to travel, busy schedules, and shorter days. This can confuse the gut and lead to digestive symptoms, especially changes in bowel motility,” she explained.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach contents flow back into the esophagus (the organ that carries food from the mouth to the stomach) — the backward flow of acid is called acid reflux.

GERD symptoms include heartburn after eating, which may worsen at night or while lying down.

“Gravity helps prevent stomach contents from rising up into the esophagus,” the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research reports.

“However, reflux can become much worse while you are sleeping or lying in bed; without the aid of gravity, it is much easier for stomach contents to spill through the malfunctioning lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and flow into the esophagus,” the organization notes.

A change in sleeping habits may ease this pain.

The majority of the stomach’s volume is on the left side of the upper abdomen — sleeping on the left side keeps the stomach below the esophagus, making it more difficult for stomach acid to rise.

Research has shown that stomach acid clears much faster when chronic heartburn sufferers sleep on their left side, instead of on their back or right side. 

If you can’t get comfortable on your left side, experts advise elevating your head and torso 6 to 8 inches above the bed. Some suggest using a wedge pillow to achieve this effect.

Note that your body should be diagonal on an incline rather than just your head propped up higher than the rest of your body.

Elevating only your head can lead to back or neck pain, which could increase pressure on the stomach and worsen the unwanted symptoms keeping you up at night.

If switching up your sleeping arrangement isn’t working for you, sometimes a simple stomach massage will do the trick.