At a guess, I would say there are very few peopple who have not been woken up in the middle of the night with a burning sensation in the pit of their stomach. Whether you have over indulged in some really spicy chilli, or snacked on some late-night leftovers, these quick heartburn remedies should settle the fire and help you get some sleep!

i. The first thing you want to do when you’re awakened by heartburn pain, is to get up. This will help settle the acid for a moment while you go and get a glass of cool water.

ii. Drink all the water, and then follow it with a mix of 1 tablespoon of baking soda and half a glass of water. Be warned though, if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure, this mixture can cause water retention or an increase your blood pressure.

iii. Do not drink milk or suck on mints to relieve heartburn. Milk might feel nice and cool going down, but it actually contains fats and proteins that cause your stomach to secrete even MORE acid and make your heartburn worse! Mints, while they may feel soothing, actually relax the small valve between your esophagus and stomach, whose purpose it is to actually KEEP acid at controlled! When the valve is relaxed, more acid can seep up and aggravate heartburn symptoms!

iv. This is going to sound strange, but downing a teaspoon of ordinary vinegar can help soothe heartburn immediately! But why give your stomach MORE acid when it already seems to have enough? Sometimes, heartburn is caused as a result of too little acid, and vinegar helps quell indigestion by giving your stomach a little extra “juice” (no pun intended!) to do its job!

v. Certain foods can cause nighttime heartburn, including: fizzy drinks, beverages with caffeine (which you shouldn’t be drinking before bed anyway!), alcohol, garlic, chocolate (sorry!), citrus fruits, tomatoes and tomato-based products. Avoiding these types of food can help ease the occurence of your indigestion attacks!

vi. Eating a banana each day works like an antacid to soothe heartburn. If you’re already stricken with indigestion, eating pineapple or papaya (or drinking the juice) can help settle your stomach naturally. Some people also claim that eating a teaspoon of mustard (yuck!) can work immediately but I really don’t fancy that one!

vii. Stop munching at least two hours before you go to sleep. Those late night snacks can keep your stomach up and busy all night and stop you from easing into a deep, restful sleep. You may also find that sleeping on your left side or sleeping at a somewhat upright angle can keep acid down where it belongs.

Should you find you are awakened by heartburn on a regular basis, the pain is really severe, or if you have heartburn with vomiting, you should really talk to your doctor immediately. This is because it can sometimes be a sign of a more serious condition such as an ulcer. Above all, avoid spicy, fatty and caffeine-containing foods before bed, and you should be able to drift off much more easily.

Try OxySleep for a good night’s sleep.


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