To avoid heartburn irritation, which side you sleep on might make a difference

Sleep on an incline.

That’s standard advice to patients with chronic heartburn or acid reflux. And it makes good sense. That burning sensation is irritation of the esophagus by stomach acids that bubble up past the esophageal sphincter.

Lying on an incline helps keep the acids down where they belong.

But once you’ve set up your bedding on an incline, then what?

With so many people going to bed with heartburn every night, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that several studies have addressed this basic sleep question: Should you sleep on the left side or right side? Or does it even matter?

The surprising results: It matters.

Several different studies have come to the same conclusion: Sleeping on your right side irritates heartburn/reflux pain.

Why? We’ll need more research to answer that one. Meanwhile, try snoozing on your left side. For some, L-E-F-T spells relief.

Sources:
“The Claim: Lying on Your Left Side Eases Heartburn” Anahad O’Connor, New York Times, 10/25/10, nytimes.com