In the middle of the night, when everyone else is quiet and still, you are jolted awake with a familiar pain accompanied by a burning sensation in the chest. The unwelcome guest keeps showing up at 2 am every single night. Sounds familiar? Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a leading California-based gastroenterologist trained at Harvard and Stanford, explains the real reason heartburn gets worse at night. In a newsletter, the doctor also suggested a simple fix that can prevent the problem altogether.
Nighttime heartburn
Dr Sethi recalled a patient who had worse heartburn at night, which even prevented him from sleeping. “I had a patient who was taking antacids every single night before bed. He’d wake up at 2 AM with that burning sensation in his chest, unable to sleep. When I asked him what time he ate dinner, I found the problem immediately,” the doctor said.
The real culprit
Before you blame your gut, it is important to look into your habits. During the consultation, Dr. Sethi asked the man a simple question about dinner time. The man had dinner at 8 pm and went to bed at 9:30 pm. And that was exactly the problem.The gastroenterologist explained how this seemingly harmless habit led to heartburn. “When you lie down with food still in your stomach, gravity can’t do its job. The acid your stomach produces to digest that food has a free pass to flow back up into your food pipe.”
How to fix it?
Dr Sethi also suggested a simple fix for nighttime heartburn. Follow the 3-4 rule.“Stop eating 3-4 hours before bedtime. This gives your stomach time to empty completely. You’re basically sleeping with a clean stomach. The acid stays where it belongs. In those 3-4 hours, your stomach produces acid, digests your food, and pushes everything down into your small intestine. By the time you lie down, there’s nothing left to reflux,” the doctor explained.Dr Sethi also added that he always advises his patients to stop eating three to four hours before bedtime. “Your last bite should be at least 3 hours before your head hits the pillow,” the doctor added.If you are struggling with heartburn that worsens at night, you should definitely give this a try. “Try this tonight. Most people notice a huge difference on the first night. No more waking up with that burning sensation. No more reaching for antacids in the middle of the night,” he said.Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet or health routine.
