GERD and Restless Legs Syndrome

None of us are perfect humans. Normal even feels like an exception and not a rule. It seems like everything is a comorbidity or a dual exceptionality. My sleep equation seems like a subtraction problem.

Good sleep can be subtracted by several conditions. Usually, my restless legs can be blamed for disruption to a good night’s sleep. But the other condition I have, which loves to come out to play with my restless legs, is GERD.

What I need to sleep well with RLS

In order to sleep well with restless legs syndrome (RLS), I usually need a lot of space. I need a few pillows. I need my weighted blanket. I usually sleep on my belly and my legs splay out, making me look like a chalk outline of a murder victim in a film noir spoof.

The only problem with this plan, besides the problems I might have with a sleep partner or when sleeping somewhere unfamiliar, is when my GERD acts up.

What is GERD?

GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease, and it is even more annoying than my restless legs. If I eat a big meal too late in the evening, eat foods that trigger my reflux, have a runny nose, or sometimes for no discernable reason at all, I will be up at night with acid reflux so bad that it can cause vomiting if I don’t deal with it.

How do GERD and RLS impact each other?

To deal with my GERD, I need to sleep with my head elevated. When I was pregnant and my GERD was constant and seemingly untreatable, I’d often doze while sitting up in bed.

Of course, I don’t get quality sleep this way. When I don’t get quality sleep, my RLS symptoms are worse. When I don’t sleep in the proper RLS position, my RLS symptoms get worse. When I don’t sleep in the proper GERD position, my GERD symptoms get worse. So the perfect balance is treating each of these conditions together.

Preparing myself for a good night's sleep

I need to follow my sleep hygiene to make sure I’m ready for a good night’s sleep. I also need to manage my GERD symptoms with lifestyle choices like eating smaller meals and avoiding tomatoes before bed. Drinking more water helps both conditions, RLS and GERD. I need to be medicated properly for the GERD if it’s acting up. I need to have rescue meds ready for both GERD and RLS if either one is severe enough to keep me up all night.

Appreciation for a flexible lifestyle

Finally, I need to have a flexible lifestyle that accounts for sometimes having a bad night’s sleep. Unfortunately, that’s something that’s harder to come by and comes with a lot of privilege.

Currently, I’m a single parent with a flexible work schedule. If I get a bad night of sleep, I still have to wake up early with my kids. However, if the kids are in school, I can take time during the day for self-care like a nap, gentle movement, or other strategies. Some people cannot do that.

Right now, I’m feeling lucky to have the pieces in place to help me get the best night’s sleep I can despite my RLS and GERD.