Sleep and Gut Health: How Your Microbiome Influences Your Circadian Rhythm

The connection between sleep and gut health is gaining attention as more people seek holistic ways to enhance their well-being. Our gut microbiome, a bustling community of trillions of microorganisms residing in our intestines, plays a crucial role not only in our digestive health but also in our immune function, mental clarity, and sleep patterns.

Let’s explore the fascinating ways our gut health influences circadian rhythms and overall sleep quality, revealing how a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle choices can lead to more restful nights and vibrant days. Join us on this journey as we uncover the intricate relationship between your gut and your sleep!

(Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.)

Understanding the Gut Microbiome

Your gut microbiome is home to thousands of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. At first, this might sound unpleasant. In reality, helpful microbes in the gut biome keep the harmful ones from taking over. 

Functions of Gut Bacteria

Everyone has a unique gut microbiome. Many people inherit their first gut microbes from either a vaginal delivery or breastfeeding. Later, diet and environment introduce new microbes into the gut microbiome. While a healthy diet and environment can support a healthy gut microbiome, a poor diet or exposure to unhealthy environments can harm it. Let’s break it down!

Digestive Health

Gut bacteria help break down some of the complex carbohydrates and dietary fibers and produce short-chain fatty acids—an essential nutrient that feeds the cells in your gut lining that keeps your gut biome healthy—in the process. The bacteria also produce enzymes that synthesize vitamins B1, B9, B12, and K. Deficiencies in these vitamins can affect your overall health.

Gut bacteria also metabolize bile in your intestines to make sure that it can be reabsorbed and recycled by your liver. If your body were unable to recycle bile acids, your entire digestive system would be impacted. Your digestive system wouldn’t be able to digest and absorb fats, and the leftover cholesterol would build up in your blood.

Immune System Support

As the largest immune system organ, your gut contains up to 80% of your immune cells. Beneficial gut microbes perform several essential functions, including:

• Training your immune system to identify and clean out unhelpful types of microbes.
• Ensuring short-chain fatty acids keep bacteria and other toxins out of your bloodstream and create an anti-inflammatory gut environment.

“When we’re not healthy, the immune system can go awry and start attacking things in the body that it shouldn’t, like our organs, joints, and our thyroid,” explained Dr. Cindy Howard, a board-certified chiropractic internist, nutritionist, and author, on a recent episode of the Better Sleep Council’s podcast, Catching Zzz’s. “That’s how we end up with autoimmune disease.”

Mental Health Connections

Your nervous system is impacted by gut microbes that make their way through your GI tract through the gut-brain axis—a network of nerves, neurons, and neurotransmitters. Again, short-chain fatty acids have positive effects, while toxins can cause nerve damage. 

At the same time, gut bacteria can produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin that communicate with your brain. Dr. Howard explained this connection further:

“Food, for some people, feeds dopamine response, the feel-good hormone. When we think about how our brain chemicals need to be produced and utilized appropriately for proper function, a lot of those are actually manufactured in the gut,” Dr. Howard said.

“When there’s poor gut health, sometimes we see emotional and nervous system responses like brain fog, depression, anxiety, mood changes, and fluctuations. It’s not because it’s a brain problem; it’s because it’s a gut problem,” she continued. “That connection to the enteric system, where the gut communicates with the brain, and it sends messaging. If my brain thinks that ice cream is going to help me feel better, it’s actually wrong. We’re trying to inappropriately fuel a source when it should come from a balance within the body, and not from a tub of ice cream.”

The Science of Circadian Rhythms

Your circadian rhythm—the natural pattern of sleep that your body follows to fall asleep and wake up in a way that rests and refreshes the body—is unique to you.

External factors such as sunlight and temperature affect your circadian rhythm, and the patterns in your rhythm influence daily behaviors such as eating and sleeping. The foods that you eat affect your gut health and, therefore, your circadian rhythm, which resets about every 24 hours.

Listen and Learn More: Mastering Your Internal Clock: Optimizing Sleep and Health With Circadian Rhythm Insights with Ellen Wermter & Mary Helen Rogers

The Connection Between Gut Health and Sleep

A balanced diet of wholesome foods, eaten at regular intervals, supports a healthy gut microbiome, which in turn contributes to better overall health and sleep quality. Researchers have discovered that nutrition influences the gut microbiome by shaping its composition through factors such as diet quality, meal timing, and meal regularity. 

The Good

A diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as fish oil, positively impacts the gut microbiome. Earlier meal times can positively impact circadian rhythms, and regular consumption of plant fiber and polyphenols supports diversity and function in the microbiome. 

Eating fermented fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds are all sources of fiber. When eaten fermented, the good bacteria in your gut produce sleep-inducing neurotransmitters, including serotonin (helps you fall asleep) and melatonin (helps you stay asleep). Consuming fermented fibers can also reduce stress and anxiety, which often impact sleep quality and quantity.

The Bad

Harmful gut bacteria have been linked to irregular sleep patterns, according to a 2023 study published in The European Journal of Nutrition. Researchers found that differences in sleep timing, notably a 90-minute shift, throughout the week were linked to the production and/or activation of unfavorable gut bacteria, which are associated with poor diet quality and cardiometabolic health, obesity, and markers of an increased risk of inflammation and cardiovascular conditions.

These unhelpful microorganisms take up residence in your gut when you eat foods that are high in sugar and saturated fats. Processed foods don’t contain adequate fiber and micronutrients, but rather additives and preservatives that can harm your gut microbiome.

Improving Gut Health for Better Sleep

Diet and lifestyle changes can help you reclaim and maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Consider the following suggestions:

Strive for Natural Gut Health

Eat a plant-rich diet. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a vegan or a vegetarian. Add fermented and whole foods to your diet (whole grains, vegetables, fruits) and avoid processed, convenience, and fast foods. 

Try Probiotics and Prebiotics

Probiotics are helpful microbes that live in your colon and are ingested through supplements or foods such as:

• Yogurt and Kefir
• Cottage Cheese
• Miso Soup
• Kombucha
• Sauerkraut and Kimchi
• Pickles and Pickle Juice

Prebiotics are the food source for the microorganisms in your gut. Fermented fiber is the primary source of prebiotics. However, the amount of prebiotics extracted from your fiber sources depends on how you cook the food. The most common prebiotics include:

• Resistant Starches: These foods produce butyrate, which acts as an anti-inflammatory, helps with water and electrolyte absorption, and boosts your immune system. Sources of resistant starches include boiled and chilled potatoes, green beans, barley, oats, rice, beans, and legumes.
• Inulin: This helpful prebiotic can help you feel full longer, lower LDL cholesterol, stabilize blood sugars, increase and maintain your good gut bacteria, and reduce the risk of colon cancer. Inulin is available as a supplement and from foods such as asparagus, burdock root, chicory root, dandelion greens, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions, soybeans, and wild yams.
• Pectin: Pectin is a gel-like starch with antioxidant and anti-tumor properties. It keeps harmful bacteria from taking over your gut and increases the range of helpful gut microorganisms. Good food sources of pectin include apples, apricots, carrots, green beans, peaches, raspberries, tomatoes, and potatoes.

Be Careful with Antibiotics

Overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance not only for you but also for the general population. Individually, it can kill both good and bad bacteria in your gut and disrupt your entire gut biome, allowing stronger, harmful bacteria to take up residence.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Your body needs sufficient water intake, four to six cups per day, for healthy digestion. Water helps prevent constipation, which can reduce the number of good microorganisms in your gut. It also:

• Aids in mucus production in your digestive tract
• Nutrient absorption and transport
• Stabilizing core body temperature

Manage Your Stress

Do you ever feel queasy when you’re stressed out? Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol rise during times of stress and cause symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, and stomach pain. Your gut biome’s response to stress is a powerful sign of the gut-brain connection. Try these techniques to manage stress:

• Belly Breathing
• Mediation
• Mindfulness
• Relaxation Therapy

Get (and stay) Active

Participating in moderate- to high-intensity aerobic exercise combined with resistance training for 150 to 270 minutes per week for six weeks was found to have a positive effect on the gut biome, according to a 2023 systematic review published in Nutrients. Of course, you’ll need to stay on top of your exercise regimen after the initial few weeks to keep your gut health in check.

Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

Good sleep hygiene entails establishing mindful habits and routines that support healthy rest, so you are refreshed and alert throughout the day. A few ways to practice good sleep hygiene include:

• Avoid certain foods and beverages. Stop drinking caffeine after lunch and alcohol for the two to three hours before bed.
• Choose the right mattress and only use your bed for sleep and sex.
• Create a quiet, comfortable sleep environment by using curtains or an eye mask to block the morning sun and earplugs or a noise machine to block outside noise.
• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, weekends included.
• Go to bed only when you’re tired. Get out of bed if you wake up in the middle of the night and don’t fall back to sleep within 15 minutes. Do something relaxing, such as listening to music or reading.
• Eat healthy and nutritious food at mealtime and snacktime.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Exercise regularly, avoiding one or two hours before your bedtime.
• Turn off devices with blue light at least an hour before bedtime.

A Healthy Gut Leads to Better Sleep

Nurturing a healthy gut is essential for not only digestive well-being but also for optimizing sleep quality and overall health. By making mindful dietary choices and maintaining a balanced lifestyle, you can support your gut microbiome and, in turn, enhance your circadian rhythm.

As you nurture this hidden powerhouse within your body, you’ll likely find that better sleep, improved mood, and greater vitality follow. So, embrace the connection between your gut and sleep, and take the first steps towards a healthier, more rested you!

Want to learn more about gut health and sleep? Listen to the Better Sleep Council Catching Zzzs podcast, The Hidden Link Between Gut Health and Quality Sleep with Dr. Cindy Howard & Mary Helen Rogers!