Gastroenterologists

• Sleep Disturbance was found to be an independent predictor for IBS.
• Shift workers appear especially likely to suffer from IBDs such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease.
• Poor sleep has been correlated to both upper and lower GI symptoms.
• Irritable bowel syndrome has been linked to poor sleep in adolescents.
• Some children with OSA may see an improvement in symptoms with proton pump inhibitor therapy.
• The severity of IBS symptoms has a strong positive correlation with sleep disturbances.
• Poor sleep can increase the risk for IBS, GERD, and peptic ulcers.
• Insufficient sleep has been linked to tumorigenesis development in the GI tract and liver.
• The same circadian clock which governs sleep/wake cycles also paces the GI tract. Disruptions to either sleep or the GI tract can impact one another.
• Patients with IBS report poorer, more fragmented sleep and poorer daytime functioning.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Sleep

• • Most GERD patients report worsened symptoms at night.
  • GERD was listed as the third most common cause of sleep complaints in a National Sleep Foundation poll.
  • Those with heartburn worse at night are more likely to have:

• 1. Insomnia
  2. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  3. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
  4. Symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome
• 80% of GERD patients on pump inhibitors report residual nighttime symptoms.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
OSA is the most common form of breathing sleep disorder.
Caused by an obstruction to the upper airway during sleep as a result of several factors:

• Inherent physical characteristics
• Excess weight
• Alcohol consumption before sleep

Detailed references available upon request.