According to a recent report in the US magazine "Prevention," Dr. Jamie Koufman, a New York City laryngologist, has found after 30 years of research that nearly 50% of Americans are unaware of "acid reflux" problems during their sleep, similar to heartburn. Avoiding certain foods before bed can help prevent acid reflux.
Foods to Avoid Before Bed
Nuts. Nuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to health. However, both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids can easily lead to stomach acid reflux. Dr. Koufman recommends minimizing or avoiding nuts such as cashews, walnuts, and peanuts before bedtime.
Citrus fruits or juices. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, but their sour taste makes it easier to cause acid reflux if consumed too much before bed. Dr. Koufman states that orange juice or green apple juice should be avoided before bedtime.
Chocolate. Chocolate is a high-fat food and also contains caffeine and the less-known stimulant theobromine. Eating chocolate before bed can easily keep the mind alert and make it difficult to fall asleep. These substances stay in the body for an average of 3 to 5 hours, and sometimes even longer.
Alcohol. Dr. Koufman states that alcohol can easily cause the lower esophageal sphincter (the junction between the esophagus and stomach) to relax, making acid reflux more likely. Additionally, while drinking before bed may help you fall asleep quickly, it keeps you in a light sleep stage and makes it difficult to enter a deep sleep stage. Even after sleeping for a long time, you may still feel tired and weak upon waking.
Greasy foods. High-fat foods, including ice cream, cookies, and cheeseburgers, can easily cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, making acid reflux more likely. Soda. Soda can damage the lower esophageal sphincter, thus increasing the likelihood of acid reflux. Carbonated drinks can also easily increase stomach pressure.