People with chronic acid reflux wake up more frequently at night than other people do. Surprisingly, they are not usually waking up to symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Just as surprisingly, these people were more likely to experience symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease after waking. It is speculated that nervous-system activity linked with acid reflux is waking people before the reflux happens.
A study involving 39 people with GERD and nine people without GERD was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The study was funded in part by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Takeda Pharmaceuticals makes Prevacid which is a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI).
"All participants underwent overnight sleep monitoring, where a device worn on the wrist recorded their movements and a probe placed in the esophagus measured instances of acid reflux. Those on H2 blockers stopped using the medications at least three days prior to entering the study, and any PPI use was stopped at least three weeks beforehand."
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2010/06/22/eline/links/20100622elin001.html