Causes of acid reflux at night

When you lie flat, gravity no longer helps keep stomach contents below the food pipe. A meal close to bedtime leaves more material in the stomach, while bending or sleeping soon after eating can encourage backflow. A hiatus hernia can alter the position of the stomach and the valve between the stomach and food pipe. Abdominal pressure, including that associated with obesity, may also promote reflux. Acid reaching the throat can cause a sour taste, throat irritation, night cough or disrupted sleep; not every episode of chest discomfort is reflux, however.

Try leaving a few hours between your evening meal and lying down. Notice whether large meals, spicy or fatty foods, alcohol, caffeine or smoking trigger symptoms, and discuss persistent patterns with a clinician. Raising the head end of the bed can help keep the upper body elevated; extra pillows alone may bend the body and increase pressure. Wear comfortable clothing around the waist and take medicines only as directed. Repeated symptoms deserve assessment because treatment may need to address reflux itself or a related condition.

Arrange medical advice if reflux is frequent, wakes you repeatedly, causes difficulty swallowing, painful swallowing, ongoing vomiting, unexplained weight loss or persistent abdominal pain. Seek urgent help for severe or new chest tightness, especially with breathlessness, sweating, faintness, nausea or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back. A cough that persists despite reflux measures may need a separate assessment rather than being assumed to come from the stomach.

Could my night symptoms be reflux, a hiatus hernia or another cause? Which foods, medicines or sleeping changes are relevant for me? Do I need assessment for persistent cough or chest symptoms?