Therapeutic options in the treatment of nighttime gastroesophageal reflux.

Approximately three quarters of individuals who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) experience its symptoms at night. Nighttime GERD symptoms disturb sleep and diminish quality of life more so than daytime symptoms. Nighttime gastroesophageal reflux is common in individuals with respiratory disorders such as sleep apnea and asthma, and may affect the severity and the frequency of these disorders. The treatments of choice for nighttime GERD symptoms are proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) due to their efficacy in relieving day- and nighttime GERD symptoms and controlling acid secretion. The onset of action, degree of acid suppression, and duration of effect of PPIs have important implications for the use of these therapies in clinical practice. PPIs that exhibit rapid and prolonged control of acid secretion may be particularly useful for treating nighttime GERD symptoms.