Do sudden and terrible burning sensations in the pit of your stomach cause to wake up at night?  Whether you indulged in some overly spicy chili, or overdid it on those late-night leftovers, Nicky Pilkington from http://www.healthandfinesse.com recommends the following quick heartburn remedies to sooth your stomach and help you get back to sleep.

1. Stand up. This will help keep the acid at bay until you can get to number two.

2. Drink a tall glass of cool water. Follow it with a mixture of one (1) tablespoon of baking soda, and half a glass of water. If you have high blood pressure or are pregnant, this can cause water retention or increase your blood pressure, so be extra cautious.

3.  Don’t drink milk or suck on mints to relieve heartburn. Milk might feel nice and cool going down, but it actually contains fats and proteins that cause your stomach to secrete MORE acid and make your heartburn worse! Mints, while they may feel soothing, actually relax the small valve between your esophagus and stomach, whose purpose it is to actually keep acid at bay. When this valve is relaxed, more acid can seep up and aggravate heartburn symptoms.

4. Down a teaspoon of vinegar. Even though this sounds strange, the vinegar can help soothe heartburn immediately. Sometimes, heartburn is caused as a result of too little acid, and vinegar helps quell indigestion by giving your stomach a little extra acid to do its job.

5. Avoid certain foods, which can cause nighttime heartburn, including soda pop or beverages with caffeine or alcohol, garlic, chocolate, citrus fruits, tomatoes and tomato-based products. Avoiding these types of food can help ease your indigestion if you frequently find yourself awakened with that intolerable burning.

6. Eating a banana each day works like an antacid to soothe heartburn. If you’re already stricken with indigestion, eating pineapple or papaya (or drinking the juice) can help settle your stomach naturally. Some people also claim that eating a teaspoon of mustard can work immediately.

7. Avoid eating at least two hours before you go to sleep. Those late night snacks can keep your stomach busy all night and prevent you from resting easy. You may also find that sleeping on your left side or sleeping at a somewhat upright angle can keep acid down where it belongs.

If you are awakened by heartburn on a regular basis, or the pain is severe, or if you have heartburn with vomiting, you’ll want to consult your doctor immediately as it may be a sign of a more serious condition such as an ulcer. Above all, avoid spicy, fatty and caffeine-containing foods before bed, and you should be able to drift off to sleep easily.
For more information, check out http://www.healthandfinesse.com.