University of Amsterdam study: Apple Watch may help GERD patients improve sleep

A scientific research team at the University of Amsterdam recently launched a new study aimed at exploring the potential of Apple Watch in improving sleep quality in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). They are actively recruiting volunteers to participate in this study, and plan to evaluate through controlled experiments whether this smart watch can track and remind the wearer of the sleep posture, thereby effectively alleviating the sleep problems encountered by GERD patients.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common chronic digestive disease characterized by the backflow of gastric acid from the stomach into the esophagus, causing irritation and even damage. It is understood that more than 80% of GERD patients will experience reflux symptoms during sleep. This condition not only negatively affects their sleep quality, but also significantly reduces their quality of life.

In response to this problem, the scientific research team put forward an interesting hypothesis: sleeping on the side may help improve the condition of GERD. They explain that when sleeping on your left side, the stomach is positioned lower than the esophagus, which theoretically reduces the chance of reflux. In order to test this hypothesis, the team developed an application called LEFT, which can monitor the wearer's sleeping posture and remind the wearer to adjust the sleeping posture through a slight vibration when the right side is detected.

Currently, this research is still ongoing and is expected to be completed in September 2025. The LEFT app was developed specifically for this study and is not currently available in the App Store shelves. The scientific research team hopes to provide a novel, non-invasive sleep improvement method for GERD patients through this research, and further expand the application potential of wearable devices in the medical and health field.

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