The Powerful Link Between Sleep and Gut Health, According to a Clinical Nutritionist
Do you struggle with sleep?
Here’s why your gut may be the reason and what you can do about it…
Yep, you read that right… your gut may be impacting your sleep.
We now know that the gut does far more than just digest food. In fact, your gut is home to 100 trillion microbial cells - that’s more than all the stars in the Milky Way galaxy. These microbial cells make up our gut microbiome (or gut bugs!). And just like a fingerprint, your gut microbiome is completely unique to you!
In the human body, the gut microbiome influences your immune system, skin health, mental well-being, hormones and sleep! Basically, your gut health affects the health of your entire body. How amazing is that! Your gut is like a mini ecosystem and requires a diverse balance of beneficial bacteria to promote health.
So how exactly do our gut bugs affect our sleep? Great question! Let me explain. As mentioned, our gut bugs impact the hormones constantly moving throughout our bloodstream. This includes cortisol and melatonin…
Cortisol is our daytime hormone - it peaks first thing in the morning after waking! It is also our primary stress hormone and an alertness-boosting hormone, so it will keep us awake.
Melatonin is our nighttime hormone - it peaks at night in response to darkness. It makes us sleepy and lets us know that it’s time for bed.
Both of these hormones together regulate our internal body clock (also called our circadian rhythm). When we have unhappy gut bugs this can negatively disrupt the natural flow of our body clock. So we feel alert at night, and sleepy during the day, that annoying wired but tired feeling. *Cue the caffeine*
But it doesn’t stop there. Just like gut health can impact sleep, your sleep can impact your gut health. Lack of sleep increases stress in the body, which means unhappy gut bugs, more cortisol and fewer Zzzzz’s. You get the gist.
Luckily for us, this means we can target the gut to improve our sleep. Because sleep is essential for repairing, restoring and rejuvenating the body! Its importance cannot be overstated.
With this in mind, here are my simple health hacks to improve your sleep (to improve your gut), starting today!
Pick a regular bedtime and stick to it! This will help to regulate your body clock. Remember you need a minimum of 8 hours every night.
Create a wind-down routine. You could try journalling, reading, meditation, gentle stretching (like yoga nidra), or breathing exercises (through the nose). Box breathing is a fantastic way to calm the nervous system before sleep. Simply inhale to a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 and repeat 5 times.
Avoid screen exposure 1-2 hours before bed. Now, if you’re like most people, this is almost asking the impossible. So, if you have to use your device, try changing your screen settings to night mode to eliminate blue light. Blue light tricks your brain into thinking it's daytime and blocks the natural production of our sleep hormone ‘melatonin’.
Avoid consuming coffee and black tea after 2 pm. Caffeine has a disruptive effect on sleep. Try swapping your afternoon coffee for herbal tea!
Expose yourself to natural morning light after waking. Morning light regulates our natural body clock and energises us for the day - an outdoor brekkie sounds good to me!
Move your body. Daily exercise can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Tip: Avoid high-intensity exercise at least 3 hours before sleep as this can stimulate cortisol production.
Each of these tips will help improve sleep quality to support your gut health. How beautifully connected is the human body?! Other healthy habits like eating well, staying hydrated and spending time in nature can help to increase the number of ‘friendly’ bacteria in our gut for better sleep.
Want to know more? One of my favourite books of all time is Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, I know it sounds nerdy, but I do love it. It's pretty science-based, but I can genuinely say this book has changed my life for the better! And I recommend it to all my friends and family.
Our dedicated team of practitioners is always here to guide you on your holistic health journey. If you're seeking assistance with improving sleep quality or enhancing your gut health, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. Explore our wide range of multi-modality services by clicking here.
Sweet dreams,
Chloe Louise
At Innerform Health, we’re thrilled to share that this article was featured and published by Wanderlust Australia as part of their Mind-Gut Reset in 2023. Our very own, Chloe Louise was featured as their Nutrition Expert. Wanderlust Australia is a dedicated Certified B Corporation that creates plant-active, herbal-led supplements and whole foods. Click here to read the article online.
References:
Matenchuk, B., Mandhane, P., & Kozyrskyj, A. (2020). Sleep, circadian rhythm, and gut microbiota. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 53(1), 1-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101340
Neroni, B., Evangelisti, M., Radocchia, G., Nardo, G., Pantanella, F., Villa, M., & Schippa, S. (2021). Relationship between sleep disorders and gut dysbiosis: what affects what?. Sleep Medicine, 87(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2021.08.003
Walker, M. (2018). Why we sleep: the new science of sleep and dreams. Penguin Books.
