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Acid reflux is often worse at night because we sleep lying down and by doing so we lose the benefit of gravity. Most of us have our biggest meal in the evening. This is not a good idea if you have acid reflux. Most of us drink alcohol more often in the evening. If you have GERD, do not eat at least three hours before going to bed. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

The simplest way to counteract the loss of gravity as an aid for acid reflux, is to elevate the head of the bed. You can do this by buying an expensive bed that raises the head of the bed at the touch of a button. If the bed bends in the middle, then you can potentially squeeze the abdomen and increase intra-abdominal pressure.

There is no doubt that elevating the head of the bed reduces the back flow of gastric contents into the esophagus while you are lying down. The simple way to elevate the head of the bed is by using two 4 by 4 inch blocks and nail or attach a fitting to it so that the casters or legs of the bed fit firmly and are not likely to slip off.

Also available and becoming popular are triangular foam wedges that can fit under the mattress. This can raise the head of the bed 6 to 10 inches. Ordinary pillows to help prop you up higher is ineffective. The pillows rarely stay in position and often when the pillows are in place only the head is raised when you really need elevation of the upper body.

Dr. Phil Hariram

Acid Reflux.