Is Gut Health Affecting Your Sleep?

There is new research concerning how the health of your digestive system can lead to 
having insomnia or making the condition worse. Here is new information concerning the 
best ways to improve the health of your gut to have better sleeping patterns.  
 
Why Does Your Digestive System Affect Your Sleeping Patterns?  
 
Scientists studied young healthy adults who suffer from sleeplessness on a routine 
basis to determine why they have insomnia. Research revealed that the individuals with 
insomnia tended to have poor bacterial systems in their guts. Researchers believe that 
the poor gut health of the test subjects led to changes in the body’s circadian rhythms, 
and in many cases, the test subjects also displayed anxiety while trying to sleep, 
including chronic bruxism or teeth grinding.  
 
What Researchers Already Know About Gut Health and Poor Sleep  
 
Researchers have known for many years that greasy or spicy food consumption before 
going to bed can lead to poor sleep, especially when someone has acid reflux. The 
condition of acid reflux is common in family groups, and it leads to a backwash of acid 
or bile into the esophagus or mouth. The individuals who have acid reflux suffer from 
chronic indigestion, and if they are reclining, then the condition is frequently worse. 
Someone with acid reflux may not sleep at night due to the constant backwash of bile 
that causes nausea.  
 
Can You Repair Your Gut To Improve Your Sleep?  
 
Improving the digestive system’s functioning can improve your sleeping patterns, 
including reducing insomnia. Scientists believe that adjusting the balance of the bacteria 
in the gut can help you to sleep better. In addition to avoiding greasy or spicy foods, you 
should begin to ingest more probiotics and antioxidants. 

These nutritional elements are in foods such as richly colored fruits and vegetables 
along with dark chocolate. Yogurt that contains live cultures also can balance the 
bacteria in the digestive tract. Drinking too many caffeinated or alcoholic beverages can 
change the digestive system’s health, so you should avoid these beverages as much as 
possible.

While your gut health might not be the sole reason you are struggling with your sleep, it 
is a good thing to consider. Perhaps you have a poor diet or know you don’t get enough 
probiotics. These are good signs that it might be at least partially from your gut. This is 
when you want to start improving your digestive system and see if it makes a difference 
with your sleep.

