Does what I eat really affect my sleep... yes! What you drink also makes a difference!

Eating a large dinner and lying down within 1 to 2 hours will result in reflux. Reflux is a backflow of stomach contents (including very strong acid) up into the throat. This can cause a sudden closure of the throat and cut off breathing for more than 10 seconds at a time... this is called an apneic event (essentially a brief suffocation). You may have experienced suddenly waking up in the middle of the night coughing and choking... this is likely due to a reflux event. It can also be caused by a sudden collapse of the airway because the throat muscles have relaxed during a deep sleep cycle.

So what can I do?

Make sure not to overeat before going to sleep and wait at least 3 hours before lying down after dinner.

OK... that’s easy enough - now pay attention to this: there are many foods that we eat and ways that we prepare foods that can make reflux worse especially if we are prone to this condition or are already suffering from it (whether we know it or not). Go to: www.refluxcookbook.com to find out more.

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