[Reflux-associated sleep disorders].

Difficulties of initiating or maintaining sleep are very common in the general population. Individuals with clinical sleep disorders have a greatly impaired quality of life. The causes for sleeping disorders are complex, but evidence has recently come from different trials supporting a causal relationship between gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep disorders in some patients. The majority of patients with GERD report reflux symptoms during the night. It is well known that especially at night reflux is characterized by prolonged esophageal acid exposure. Recent data have indicated that sleep disorders significantly improve while on efficacious antisecretory treatment. In particular in patients with sleep disorders but no previously known GERD, the search for it is recommended and should be followed by adequate antisecretory treatment. In other severe diseases associated with sleep, like the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS), an association with esophageal acid exposure has been proven. The sleep apnea-associated reflux has probably a multifactorial etiology: in cases with other predisposing conditions for gastro-esophageal reflux, OSAS promotes the development of reflux. Antisecretory treatment has been able to improve the severity of OSAS. The purpose of this review has been to survey of recent publications in GERD-associated sleep disorders, as well as the possible pathophysiological basis of the observed phenomena.