Institute for Continuing Education

Sleep Issues in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Define Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, discussing its major features.
• Describe the connection between GRD and sleep disorders.
• Identify possible treatments for GRD, with an eye to reducing sleep disruption.

Course Information

In the recent past, sleep’s implications for the physiology and pathogenesis of disease have been ignored. With the evolution of sleep laboratories, an awareness of the relationship between sleep and various gastrointestinal phenomena has been rapidly emerging. Most notable has been burgeoning interest in the relationship between sleep-related gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and the development of esophageal and aerodigestive complications such as esophagitis, chronic cough, exacerbation of bronchial asthma, and pulmonary aspiration. Work examining the relationship of sleep and GER has captured the attention of gastroenterologists and primary care physicians involved in the treatment of this common, perplexing problem. Sleep results in a significant alteration in basic physiology that can profoundly affect responses to GER.