1. Get Your Head in the Clouds
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, otherwise known as GERD, can make you miserable. Those stomach acids creeping up into your esophagus can cause severe heartburn, and it's always seems to be worse at night. If GERD is a bedtime problem for you, fight back with positional therapy. Acid has a difficult time climbing uphill, so give it a run for its money. Elevate the head of your bed about four to six inches. You can purchase a special GERD wedge to put under your mattress or you can put blocks under the legs of the bed. This may also be a solution to the hoarseness GERD sufferers sometimes experience in the morning. Acid can enter the esophagus during the night and irritate the vocal cords. Doctors also say you shouldn't lie down right after eating, because you haven't had time to digest your food. Eat a small dinner at night, and have it several hours before going to bed.
2. It's All Uphill
It may be tempting to just prop up on pillows, particularly if your bed partner is complaining about the sleeping at an angle. But doctors say using extra pillows won't solve the problem. Your entire body needs to incline upward, not just your head. Most spouses say they do get used to the elevated bed over time.
3. Don't Forget Your Squats
If you have to deal with GERD, you've probably experienced that uncomfortable rush of stomach acid into your throat when you bend over from you're waist, particularly when you've got a full tummy. Just like sleeping flat at night, you're giving the acid an advantage with gravity. As you bend, you will compress the acid and force it upward into your esophagus. If you squat down to retrieve something, you're less likely to feel the acid. You're also doing your spine a favor, as well, since orthopedists recommend bending at the knees rather than the waist.
4. Stay Upright
Exercise is great, but you need to think about positioning here, too. Try to avoid exercises that put you in a flat position or worse, put your head lower than your stomach. Ask your gastroenterologist to recommend exercises that give you a great workout, but are easy on GERD. If you're one of the 20 percent of the population in the U.S. who have to deal with chronic GERD, you certainly don't want to do anything to make it worse. But don't use GERD as an excuse to avoid exercise. Just modify your program.
