When you feel pain in the stomach, you may wish to lie on the bed. What do ulcers feel like? But do you know that the sleeping position and what to put into the stomach may aggravate the condition? So basically How To Sleep With Stomach Ulcer?? You will come to know everything in this article.
What Is A Stomach Ulcer?
Stomach ulcer, also known as gastric ulcer, develops when the thick stomach lining gets damaged due to stomach acid. What are the causes of the mucus layer damage? The common causes are Helicobacter pylori bacterial infection or long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin. Another cause is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome which is rare. The best part is the stomach ulcer can be healed with a proper doctor’s prescription and added home care.
Symptoms Of Stomach Ulcers
If you have stomach ulcers, you may have the following symptoms associated with stomach ulcers. The prominent symptom is a burning sensation or pain in the upper middle part of the abdomen, between the breastbone and belly button. The other symptoms are;
- Weight loss
- Dull pain in the stomach
- Nausea or vomiting
- Bloating
- Heartburn
- Feeling full quicker
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal discomfort
- Indigestion
- Excessive gas release
The Ulcer should find earlier and take treatment; if not, the condition may become worse and life-threatening.
When you are suffering from these symptoms, mainly stomach pain, you may struggle to sleep. What then we can do, follow some practice while going to bed might help. It starts from the position of sleeping. The other things are;
3 Best Position To Sleep With Stomach Ulcer
Sleeping on your back:
Ulcer pain relief at night – Sleeping on your back with an elevated head is the best position to deal with a stomach ulcer. You can use wood blocks or a wedge pillow for this purpose. But you may not know the exact location of a stomach ulcer, so adjusting your position to comfortable can help you in sound sleep.
By keeping your head in an elevated position, you can make gravity work for you to stop stomach acid from reaching the ulcer and irritating it. You can save your digestive system from getting compressed by sleeping on your back and can reduce the ulcer pain.
If this position is not working for you, you must try a different position. You can try sleeping on your side. Putting the pillow between the knees can reduce the pressure on your stomach.
Lay on your left side if you’re a side-sleeper:
What side to sleep on with ulcer? the best side to sleep on for stomach. Try sleeping on your left side if sleeping on your back is not comfortable for you. Lying on your side may not compress your digestive system as much as the effect from the right side. The pain also is lesser. Place a pillow between your knees to give more comfort.
Sleeping on your stomach may press your digestive system:
People with a stomach ulcer or other stomach acid-related troubles should avoid sleeping on their stomachs. Rather, try sleeping on the back or left side. Sleeping on the stomach is also bad for your back and neck. It adds more strain to your back and spine.
Create A Better Sleeping Environment – How To Sleep With Stomach Ulcer?
Avoid caffeine, big meals, and screen time in the evening:
Avoid caffeine after lunch which is a natural stimulant that can disturb sleep. There should be minimum three hours gap between last meals and sleeping hours for better sleep, so complete all your meals three hours before your bedtime. Otherwise, a busy digestive system makes you feel full and uncomfortable.
Likely, wind up all your screening activities one hour before going to bed. The blue light from electronic devices may disturb your body’s natural circadian rhythm. The body’s natural circadian rhythm controls your sleep cycle.
Create a consistent bedtime routine
You can train your body to fall asleep on time by following a steady routine daily. Complete all your relaxing techniques and calming activities one hour before bedtime to make your body sleep-ready. You can try the following.
- Take a warm bath with Epsom salt and lavender essential oil for about 20 drops.
- Massage your feet, legs, arms, and neck
- Meditating
- Listening to melody or relaxing music(Minimalism Music)
- Read a few pages to calm you
Make your sleeping area cool, quiet, dark, and comfortable:
- Always keep your sleeping areas sleep-inducing to help you fall asleep quickly and comfortably. Try this;
- Keep the room as dark as possible and remove any light-emitting objects from the room like bright clocks.
- Set the thermostat to 18 to 20 degrees Celsius to keep the room cool
- Shut doors and windows completely to avoid outdoor noise such as street traffic.
- Use a soft and comfortable mattress with a supportive pillow
- You can use an air purifier to improve the air quality in your room or sleeping area.
Treat sleep apnea and other sleep disorders
If you are not getting enough sleep, it may increase the symptoms of stomach ulcers. Sleep and stomach ulcers are interconnected. Sleep apnea is a potentially fatal condition if left untreated, it may worsen the stomach ulcers or develops the stomach ulcers.
How To Treat A Stomach Ulcer
- Visit your doctor- If you find any stomach ulcer symptoms, don’t wait for the worst condition. Go and visit your doctor, diagnosis and take appropriate treatment.
- Antacid Medications- Excess stomach acid can cause more pain if you have a stomach ulcer. You can take acid-reducing medicine like antacids to neutralize the stomach acid. It can reduce your pain and promote the healing process. Doctors may also prescribe H-2 blockers and Proton Pump Inhibitors to inhibit acid secretion.
- Antibiotics for stomach ulcers- Antibiotics can help treat the stomach ulcer caused by an H.pylori bacterial infection. For other causes, antibiotics will not help.
- Avoid taking NSAID pain relievers- What painkillers can I take with a stomach ulcer? Next to bacterial infection, NSAID pain relievers are the common cause of stomach ulcers. Reduce or eliminate NSAID pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen. It may help in promoting the healing process. Your doctor may prescribe other category pain relievers such as acetaminophen.
- Chamomile tea to help with ulcer pain- How to calm an ulcer attack? What drink is good for ulcers? Natural antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties in chamomile can reduce your stomach acid and help the ulcer heal faster.
- Avoid foods that cause painful flare-ups- There is a popular belief that spicy foods will cause stomach ulcers, but it is not true. Another thing you should know is that they can make them worse. Trigger-causing foods are different for everyone, know your trigger foods and avoid them. You can reduce the severity of symptoms and promote heal. Examples of trigger foods are spicy foods acidic foods chocolate mint fried foods Carbonated drinks and dairy products can sometimes worsen the condition.
- Quit smoking and limit your alcohol
All you know is that smoking and drinking are bad for health. Both smoking and alcohol can increase stomach acid production and worsen ulcer symptoms. So, it is good to cut if possible or limit the intake.
- Reduce the stress
Stress may not be the original cause of ulcers, but they can make the symptoms worse like spicy foods. Stress can also trigger unhealthy behavior like smoking, drinking, or eating unhealthy foods. What can you do to get relief from stress? Do light exercise, meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, or spend time in nature. Or you can visit a doctor and share your problems.
Sleeping with ulcer pain is more uncomfortable, but as mentioned before, sleep and stomach ulcers are interconnected. The sleepless night may worsen the symptoms. Try to find a comfortable sleeping position and avoid taking NSAID pain relievers. Little lifestyle changes to your diet can also improve your sleep.
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The article written by me is for information purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice. The reader should always consult a Medical practitioner concerning any medical condition.