We all know the feeling of a bad night's sleep - brain fog, no motivation, probable over reliance on caffeine… But did you know that poor sleep also affects our gut health, and that the relationship between the two is codependent, with the gut influencing our brain’s sleep centre and vice versa?
Here's a closer look at how gut health impacts sleep, and how poor sleep can affect gut health.
Firstly, the impact of gut health on sleep should not be underestimated. The gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms, plays a crucial role in regulating sleep patterns via the gut-brain axis. A balanced microbiome can help produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which are important for sleep regulation.
An unhealthy gut may lead to imbalances that can disrupt sleep as these neurotransmitters may not be created, therefore failing to signal to the brain it’s bedtime. The same goes for hormones involved with sleep - melatonin and cortisol. The gut microbiome is involved in the production and regulation of these hormones, so poor gut health can lead to low levels of these hormones existing, which can significantly impact your sleep cycle.
Sleep and gut health are inextricably linked, so when one is out of sync so too does the other. Just as the above impacts sleep, poor sleep impacts gut health. Lack of sleep can alter the composition of the gut microbiome, leading to dysbiosis—a state of imbalance where harmful bacteria proliferate over beneficial ones. This disruption can perpetuate the cycle of poor gut health as the gut isn’t effectively producing hormones and neurotransmitters necessary for sleep.
Both poor sleep and gut dysbiosis can lead to compromised immune responses for quite a few reasons. Poor sleep reduces the body’s ability to rest and repair overnight, increasing inflammation within the body and decreasing your immunity. This then increases susceptibility to infections and sickness, which further aggravates gastrointestinal issues and inflammation!
Lastly, sleep deprivation increases cortisol, our main stress hormone. Elevated stress levels can negatively affect gut health by promoting gut inflammation, decreasing gut motility (how well your gut moves to digest food), decreasing immune function and making us feel pretty rubbish overall.
But don’t be overwhelmed as the cycle can be easy to break with a bit of awareness and consideration. Simple lifestyle changes can help - consider what you’re eating throughout the day such as less caffeine and sugar if you need to catch up on sleep, ensure you’re adequately hydrated, and if you’re stressed take some time to reset whether it’s 10 minutes of meditation, quick walk around the block or some simple stretches before bed.
Each one of these small things can add up considerably to help foster both a healthy gut and restorative sleep. Just by understanding the relationship between sleep, stress and gut health, you’re well on your way to improving overall well-being.
Whether you’re seeking personalised dietary advice or looking to improve your overall health, The Natural Balance is here to support you on your journey.
Kelly Mulhall
Registered Nutritional Therapist, Health Coach, Master SIBO Practitioner
Kelly is a Registered Nutritional Therapist who focuses on positive physical and mental wellbeing, achieved through diet, lifestyle, sleep and exercise. Having struggled for years with IBS and hormonal imbalance, and increasingly frustrated with the lack of support and helpful advice from her GP, Kelly began her own journey of healing the body from the inside out. After seeing huge improvements she quit her job to study nutrition and focus on harnessing the healing powers of food to help other people in similar situations.
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