{"id":230,"date":"2025-09-02T22:47:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T22:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/?page_id=230"},"modified":"2025-09-03T10:28:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T10:28:16","slug":"digestion-reflux-night-time-habits-that-reduce-discomfort","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/digestion-reflux-night-time-habits-that-reduce-discomfort\/","title":{"rendered":"Digestion &#038; reflux: night-time habits that reduce discomfort"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">A busy stomach can keep your brain wide awake. Lying down too soon after eating, spicy or fatty meals, and late drinks can all make nights uncomfortable. The aim here is simple: <strong>lighter evenings, kinder sleep positions, and a calm routine<\/strong> so your body has time to settle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone\u2019s different, so treat these as friendly pointers rather than rules. Keep what helps and ignore the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick wins tonight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Leave <strong>2\u20133 hours<\/strong> between your last main meal and bedtime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep dinner <strong>lighter<\/strong> and try a smaller portion size.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prop your <strong>upper body slightly<\/strong> rather than stacking pillows under your head.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep the bedroom <strong>cool<\/strong> and avoid tight waistbands or restrictive sleepwear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Evening habits that help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Meal timing:<\/strong> Aim for earlier, unhurried dinners. Snack small if you\u2019re hungry later (plain yoghurt, banana, a few crackers).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pace:<\/strong> Eat slowly and pause between courses. A short stroll after dinner can feel good.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Clothes:<\/strong> Choose <strong>loose, breathable<\/strong> layers so nothing presses on your middle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stress:<\/strong> A simple <strong>wind-down<\/strong> (breathing or journalling) can reduce tension that often goes hand-in-hand with stomach discomfort.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Food &amp; drink pointers (gentle, not prescriptive)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People report fewer flare-ups when they <strong>go easy on<\/strong> rich, spicy or very acidic foods at night.<br>Caffeine, chocolate, fizzy drinks and alcohol close to bedtime can feel harsher for some.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herbal options are a mixed bag: ginger or fennel can feel soothing; <strong>peppermint doesn\u2019t suit everyone<\/strong> as some people find it worsens reflux. Try small amounts and see how you get on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sleep position &amp; bedroom set-up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Elevate your upper body<\/strong>, not just your head. A <strong>wedge pillow<\/strong> or <strong>bed risers<\/strong> under the head of the bed can help gravity keep things where they should be.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Side-sleeping<\/strong> is often more comfortable than flat on your back.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep the room <strong>cool<\/strong> (around 18\u201320\u00b0C) and avoid very heavy duvets that make you hot and restless.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have a <strong>low-glare night light<\/strong> for loo trips so you don\u2019t fully wake with bright light.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Useful products (to make the habits easy)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chosen as helpers for the tips above \u2014 not cures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Wedge pillow<\/strong> \u2013 gentle upper-body elevation without stacking pillows.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bed risers (head end)<\/strong> \u2013 a subtle, fixed incline for the whole bed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Breathable sleepwear<\/strong> \u2013 looser fit with soft waistbands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cooling pillow or topper<\/strong> \u2013 keeps you comfortable if you tend to overheat.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gentle herbal blends<\/strong> (ginger\/fennel) \u2013 a warm, caffeine-free evening option.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low-glare night light<\/strong> \u2013 enough to see without waking fully.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Shop categories:<\/em> <strong>Reflux &amp; digestion<\/strong> \u2192 <code>\/shop\/reflux-digestion\/<\/code> \u00b7 <strong>Temperature solutions<\/strong> \u2192 <code>\/shop\/temperature-solutions\/<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to look wider<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If discomfort is <strong>frequent<\/strong>, <strong>painful<\/strong>, or comes with weight loss, swallowing problems, or persistent cough, it\u2019s sensible to <strong>speak to your GP<\/strong> for personal advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may also find these helpful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stress &amp; racing thoughts<\/strong> \u2192 <code>\/advice\/stress-wind-down\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Room temperature<\/strong> \u2192 <code>\/advice\/bedroom-temperature\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Light exposure<\/strong> \u2192 <code>\/advice\/light-and-sleep\/<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Give your stomach <strong>time to settle<\/strong> before bed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose <strong>lighter evening meals<\/strong> and <strong>looser layers<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Try <strong>gentle elevation<\/strong> and a <strong>cool room<\/strong> for comfort.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use simple tools to make the routine stick.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Next step:<\/strong> Want suggestions tailored to you? Try the <strong>Sleep Quiz<\/strong> \u2192 <code>\/sleep-quiz\/<\/code><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A busy stomach can keep your brain wide awake. Lying down too soon after eating, spicy or fatty meals, and late drinks can all make nights uncomfortable. The aim here is simple: lighter evenings, kinder sleep positions, and a calm routine so your body has time to settle. Everyone\u2019s different, so treat these as friendly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":236,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-230","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"kubio_ai_page_context":{"short_desc":"","purpose":"general"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":269,"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/230\/revisions\/269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shhlumber.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}