6 Simple Ways to Sleep with a Stomach Ulcer

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How to sleep with a stomach ulcer is a question that many people who have these ulcers and wake up exhausted wonder. More information on these techniques for getting a better night’s sleep when you have a stomach ulcer can be found in this article.

With a stomach ulcer, sleeping on your side or back, elevating your head with pillows or a bed that can be adjusted, taking medications your doctor has prescribed for you, avoiding spicy foods, eating dinner three to four hours before bed, reducing stress, quitting smoking, abstaining from alcohol, and practicing good sleep hygiene can all help you sleep better.

Table of Contents

Symptoms of Stomach Ulcers

Delicate mucus membranes line the interior of the stomach and digestive tract. This tissue is easily aggravated after being damaged, which can result in pain and other symptoms. A healthcare provider can diagnose the cause of your pain by asking about symptoms like:15

Pain or discomfort between meals or when you eat
Stomach pain that wakes you from your sleep
Becoming full quickly when you eat
Bloating
Burning or dull pain in your stomach
Pain that comes and goes over days or weeks
Discomfort that lasts several minutes to hours

More severe ulcers may cause:

Nausea
Weight loss
Vomiting blood
Blood in your stool or dark stools
Back pain

How to Sleep Better With a Stomach Ulcer

Improving Sleep

The health of the gastrointestinal tract depends on sleep. Poor sleep can worsen stomach ulcers or cause them to recur. Stomach ulcers can also affect the quality of your sleep.

According to one study, people who sleep nine hours or more each night have a lower risk of developing stomach ulcers than those who only get seven hours of sleep. This implies that sleep may act as a preventative measure for stomach ulcers.

Making a few small changes may help to improve sleep quality and hasten healing in the case of stomach ulcers.

Read More: How to Sleep with a UTI

Sleeping Positions

Sleep patterns can influence gastrointestinal disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is frequently confused with ulcers, and other conditions. The symptoms of both can be lessened by altering your sleep patterns.

The symptoms of GERD and peptic ulcers can be made worse by increased stomach acids brought on by stress, spicy foods, and medications.1 Because these acids accumulate most after eating, if you eat late at night, your symptoms may get worse while you sleep. It may be possible to reduce symptoms by avoiding late-night snacks and meals.

If GERD is a contributing factor in your discomfort, lying on your left side can help your stomach contents enter the rest of your digestive tract more quickly.

The ideal sleeping position for those who are prone to stomach ulcers needs more investigation.

19. 6 SImple Ways to Sleep with a Stomach Ulcer2

Medications

Your first inclination might be to use an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever to treat the pain of a stomach ulcer, but using NSAIDs is one of the main factors contributing to stomach ulcers. Speak with your healthcare provider about your NSAID use and think about other pain-management options if you have a history of peptic ulcers or are at risk of developing one.

If you have an ulcer brought on by the H, your medical professional may recommend antibiotics. pylori bacteria. Other medications to reduce stomach ulcer pain focus on reducing stomach acid or protecting your stomach lining, such as:

Histamine receptor blockers (H2 blockers) like Pepcid or Zantec (famotidine) and Tagamet (cimetidine)
Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) like Prilosec (omeprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole), Prevacid (lansoprazole), and Protonix (pantoprazole)
Antacids
Mucosal protective agents like Carafate (sucralfate)

While some medications, such as Protonix, require a prescription from a doctor, others, such as Pepcid and Prilosec, are available over-the-counter. For some people, finding relief requires a mix of prescription drugs and dietary adjustments.

Diet

In the past, people believed that spicy or acidic foods could lead to stomach ulcers, but evidence suggests that H. pylori and NSAID use as the primary causes.

This is not to say that dietary factors have no bearing on ulcer symptoms or development. Stomach acids start to produce when you eat. A large meal or specific foods can raise your stomach’s acid level and aggravate an ulcer. This may be especially true at night due to the positioning of the stomach and the movement of acids.

Limiting eating before bed and avoiding certain foods that cause stomach ulcer pain can help relieve ulcer pain and enhance sleep. Alcohol and caffeine also contribute to stomach ulcer pain and poor sleep quality.

Sleep Hygiene

Better sleep hygiene, which can start with removing distractions, is another way you can try to improve your sleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends taking the following steps to get better sleep.

Create a space for sleep: Make sure your sleeping area is peaceful, quiet, and dark.
Cut out screens: It can be more difficult to get a good night’s sleep when using electronics like televisions, computers, phones, tablets, and other gadgets. You can cut down on distractions by taking these things out of your bedroom.
Consistency is key: It’s best for your sleep if you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Cut back on snacks and drinks: You may sleep better if you stay away from heavy meals, late-night snacks, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages before bed.
Stay active: You can improve the quality of your nighttime sleep by exercising regularly during the day and avoiding naps.

Create a Good Sleep Environment

A few hours before you go to bed, make your plans for bed! After lunch, caffeine should be avoided because it is a stimulant. Avoid eating substantial meals or snacks within three hours of going to bed. Eating before bedtime makes your digestive system work rather than allow it to rest, causes bloating and discomfort, and increases stomach acid production.

Also, wait at least an hour before bedtime before using any screens, including those on TVs, computers, smartphones, and tablets. “Blue light” emitted by electronic screens may disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which governs the sleep cycle.

How to Ease Stomach Ulcer Pain at Night

When you are suffering from a stomach ulcer, the idea of lying down to sleep might make you cringe. Stomach ulcers develop when the stomach’s protective lining is weakened, usually as a result of overuse of NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) pain relievers or an H. pylori infection, allowing stomach acid to cause tissue damage. With the help of a doctor and home remedies, the majority of ulcers can be cured.

Does Lying Down Make An Ulcer Worse?

The lower esophageal sphincter, a muscle at the end of your esophagus, does not function properly when you are lying on your back. Your food and stomach acid can travel back up your esophagus while you’re lying on your side.

There is no one ideal sleeping position for people with stomach ulcers because the location of these lesions can vary. To determine which sleeping position is most comfortable for you, try lying on your left side or your back (lying on your stomach will likely make the pain worse, though), and think about using an adjustable bed that raises your upper half as a support.

Summary

It is important to seek additional medical attention, for ongoing or severe cases

If you follow a doctor’s treatment plan, you might be able to get rid of a stomach ulcer in as little as two to three weeks, though it might take longer. Keep in touch with your doctor to inform them of your progress—or lack thereof—and to discuss any necessary adjustments to your treatment regimen. Ask for medical attention as soon as possible if:

Fresh or dried blood starts coming out of your mouth.
You’ve experienced prolonged diarrhoea or vomiting.
develop a severe or protracted fever.
if there is blood or dried blood (which appears black and tarry) in your stools.
have severe pain or bloating.
Possible symptoms of jaundice include skin and eye yellowing.