Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Sleep

Nocturnal heartburn is very common, affecting most of the patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, patients may not report nocturnal symptoms, unless specifically asked. In a subset of GERD patients, nocturnal symptoms may not be present, but patients may display other manifestations of nocturnal GER such as nighttime choking, cough, and wheezing and also sleep disturbances. The latter may be the sole manifestation of GERD, even in patients who do not report nighttime awakenings due to heartburn. Proton pump inhibitors are a very effective therapeutic modality in controlling nocturnal heartburn symptoms and GERD-related sleep disturbances in most heartburn sufferers.