Introduction
Lying down after eating can increase stomach acid production and cause visible discomfort. This is more likely to happen if a person has underlying gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or acid reflex. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a digestive condition where stomach acids travel back into the esophagus and irritate its lining. A study conducted in 2005 suggested that people with GERD and reflux disease have to wait about three hours after eating to lie down.
What Factors Causes a Person to Feel Tired and Lie Down After Eating?
Several factors can cause a person to feel tired after eating. They include:
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Type of Food - Foods rich in proteins and carbohydrates tire a person after eating. This tiredness happens because the body amplifies the serotonin hormone production after consuming these types of food. This, in turn, makes a person feel unmotivated and exhausted. Foods that contain tryptophan, like spinach, eggs, turkey, milk, cheese, and other protein-dense foods, also make the person feel less energetic.
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Quantity of Food - When a person eats large meals, the blood sugar level rises, making the energy levels drop. This is why a person feels tired and unproductive after enjoying a large meal.
To minimize this sleepy feeling after eating meals, it is recommended to:
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Eat small meals throughout the day than large meals.
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Walking after eating will allow the body to digest the food well, preventing indigestion.
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Avoid alcohol intake with meals.
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Try getting sufficient quantities of sleep during the night.
What Is Indigestion?
Indigestion, also called dyspepsia, causes various symptoms and is mainly characterized by discomfort in the upper abdominal area. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, gas, nausea, and uncomfortable fullness after eating food and feeling full soon after beginning a meal.
What Causes Indigestion?
Indigestion is commonly caused while eating fast and not chewing thoroughly. However, it can also be caused by overeating, eating greasy, spicy, or fatty food, caffeinated and carbonated drinks, anxiety, stress, and habits like alcohol and smoking. Indigestion can also be caused due to other medical conditions like peptic ulcers, gastritis, pancreatitis, gallstones, constipation, celiac disease, and stomach cancer.
What Happens When a Person Lies Down After Eating?
According to the University of Pitbull Medical Centre, when a person lies down after eating, it can cause several health issues like acid reflux, GERD, increase in weight gain, disturbed sleep, and risk of esophageal cancer and Barrett’s esophagus.
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GERD/ Acid Reflux Symptoms - If a person has acid reflux while standing up with gravity, the saliva will naturally return the acids to the stomach. This return shortens the indigestion symptoms and decreases the acid damage to the esophageal lining. But when a person lies down, the interference of gravity does not usually happen. This is also why some people report their reflux symptoms worsening at night.
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Weight Gain - When a person lies down immediately after eating, the body does not get a chance to burn those calories. Planning the meal before bedtime and eating a light dinner will help the body eliminate those extra calories.
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Increased Risk of Esophageal Cancer and Barrett's Esophagus - Chronic or untreated acid reflux leads to a disorder called Barrett’s esophagus. This occurs when the cells lining the lower esophagus change due to prolonged exposure to stomach acids.
When Should a Person Lie Down After Eating Food?
People with postprandial hypotension should lie down for an hour after eating. When digestion happens, extra blood circulation occurs in the stomach and small intestine. When the heart and blood vessels do not work efficiently for this, then the blood pressure decreases. This decrease can cause dizziness and trigger nausea, fainting, or angina. This condition is called postprandial hypotension.
How Can Indigestion Be Managed?
Healthcare practitioners usually recommend lifestyle modifications to ease indigestion. Some lifestyle changes include:
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Identifying foods that trigger indigestion and avoiding them.
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Decreasing or eliminating alcohol consumption and caffeinated drinks.
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Replacing three large meals with four or five small ones.
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Managing stress and anxiety.
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Maintaining an adequate weight by exercising regularly.
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Avoid certain pain medications like Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Aspirin.
The doctor will start over-the-counter antacids if indigestion does not ease with lifestyle modifications. If antacids do not control indigestion, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, H2 receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors, anti-depressants, or anti-anxiety medications.
How to Prevent the Negative Effects of Lying Down After Eating?
If someone notices getting tired very easily after eating, they can incorporate certain prevention tips into their lives to avoid lying down immediately after eating. Some of the tips include:
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Sleep deprivation is closely related to an increased appetite. Because of this, overeating occurs, leading to feeling lethargic. It is always recommended to get a sufficient amount of sleep, about seven to nine hours for most adults.
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Always plan the meals. There should be a three-hour gap between dinner and bedtime.
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Certain foods tend to trigger acid reflux symptoms more than others. If a person faces acid reflux regularly, they might have to avoid these trigger foods before bedtime. Trigger foods include spicy food, alcohol, fatty, fried food, tomato-based foods, and citrus fruits.
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If eating before bedtime is of utmost importance, then it is advised to go for healthier snacks that do not activate the symptoms of acid reflux. Healthier snacks include warm milk and honey, blueberries, nut butter, and low-fat yogurt with granola. These are some better choices to eat before bedtime.
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Certain sleeping positions can be adjusted to reduce acid reflux symptoms. Sleeping in an incline position on the left side will prevent acid from reflexing when a person is sleeping. Sleeping on the back, stomach, or right side will cause the stomach acid levels to rise and enter the esophagus, causing acid reflux symptoms and heartburn.
Conclusion
Lying down after eating will cause indigestion because of the rice of stomach acids. If a person is diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, they should avoid lying down immediately after consuming food and wait around three hours to lie down. However, if a person has postprandial hypotension, which makes them dizzy after eating, in such cases, they can lie down for about an hour after eating food. Lifestyle modifications can manage indigestion. If indigestion does not improve with lifestyle changes, the healthcare provider will start with medications.
