Q When I lie down at night, the food I ate during the day comes right back up into my mouth. It happens every night—could it be the food?
A Food pooled in the esophagus loses gravity's help when you lie down and comes back up. Eating dinner early and small and raising your upper body during sleep can reduce nighttime regurgitation.
Detailed Answer
In achalasia, food that couldn't go down remains in the esophagus and regurgitates toward the mouth when you lie down. Eating right before bed or late-night snacks especially makes you lie down with food pooled in the esophagus, worsening nighttime regurgitation. Finish dinner in small amounts more than 3 hours before sleep, and raising your upper body with a pillow helps.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
When food comes up every night, sleep and nutrition easily collapse together. While supportive Korean medicine treatment soothes the discomfort of reverse rising, we also adjust sleeping posture and mealtime together to reduce the burden of nocturnal regurgitation. However, if regurgitation is severe and you're losing weight, we recommend a detailed exam first.
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