Good sleep helps the gut …
Part of the reason gut health has received so much attention in recent years is because of its significance. Poor gut health is associated with a host of serious illnesses; along with inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, gut health is also linked to diabetes, liver diseases, heart disease, and several types of cancer.
Though many factors affect gut health, sleep can make a real difference — positively and negatively.
“Studies have found that sleep deprivation can impact the gut microbes after just two days of getting less sleep then we need,” says Sandy Soni, gut specialist dietitian at the Gut Health Clinic in London. “Sleep deprivation can also increase inflammation and stress hormones in the body.”
The same poor habits that upset sleep also can disrupt gut health. “Anything that negatively impacts sleep would negatively impact gut health since the communication between the gut and brain is bidirectional,” Burkhart explains. She also notes that things like chronic stress, little or no exercise, sugar, processed foods, alcohol, and exposure to caffeine and/or blue light too close to bedtime are all problematic for gut health.
But this connection also gives us another important reason to work on our sleep hygiene. A few simple steps — such as creating a nighttime routine and spending more time outdoors — can go a long way toward improving both sleep and gut health.
… and a healthy gut helps with sleep
Just as good sleep helps the gut, a healthy microbiome can lead to more and better sleep.
“Studies have found that increased microbiome diversity is correlated with longer sleep times and better sleep efficiency,” Soni says. “So feeding the gut microbes well could lead to a reduction in sleep issues and improved mood.”
One way a healthy gut helps is by managing our internal clock. “A study at the University of Missouri found the gut microbiome to be a major player in sleep regulation,” Burkhart says. “The gut bacteria regulate circadian rhythms, and thereby improve sleep quality.”
