Gastroesophageal Reflux and Body Position During Sleep

A traditional approach for patients with symptomatic nighttime gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) is to elevate the head of the bed or to elevate the upper body with a wedge pillow. Research also suggests that reflux might be affected by whether one sleeps on the right or left side: Lying on the right side could facilitate reflux, because stomach contents are more likely to be above the gastroesophageal junction. In this study, 57 patients with GERD and nocturnal reflux symptoms underwent 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring; they also wore devices that recorded body position during sleep (i.e., supine, right lateral decubitus, or left lateral decubitus).

Patients spent similar amounts of time sleeping in each of the three positions. Compared with t…