Chronic acid reflux frequently wakes up people at night, even without causing heartburn symptoms. More than half of patients with GERD report heartburn that awakens them from sleep.
Chronic acid reflux frequently wakes up people at night, even without causing heartburn symptoms.
More than half of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) report heartburn that awakens them from sleep. To determine the frequency of conscious awakenings associated with acid reflux events during sleep, researchers compared 39 adults with (GERD) with nine healthy adults as controls.
It was found that those with GERD tended to wake up more often during the night - an average of three times per night, versus just under twice per night for their healthy counterparts. Their sleep disruptions were often related to reflux episodes, as measured by a probe that was placed in the esophagus overnight. Yet, most of the awakenings were not spurred by perceived heartburn symptoms; GERD patients reported sensing symptoms in only 16 percent of their sleep disruptions.
The findings, though based on a small group of patients, suggest that GERD may be contributing to poor sleep more often than has been suspected.
More than half of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) report heartburn that awakens them from sleep. To determine the frequency of conscious awakenings associated with acid reflux events during sleep, researchers compared 39 adults with (GERD) with nine healthy adults as controls.
It was found that those with GERD tended to wake up more often during the night - an average of three times per night, versus just under twice per night for their healthy counterparts. Their sleep disruptions were often related to reflux episodes, as measured by a probe that was placed in the esophagus overnight. Yet, most of the awakenings were not spurred by perceived heartburn symptoms; GERD patients reported sensing symptoms in only 16 percent of their sleep disruptions.
The findings, though based on a small group of patients, suggest that GERD may be contributing to poor sleep more often than has been suspected.
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