Introducing our Gut Health Canvas
In this series, we dive into the links between the gut and various aspects of our mental and physical health.
Mental Health: Sleep

How are the gut and sleep connected?
- Sleep is an essential component of the human circadian cycle and has extensive health impacts.
- 👨 Smith et al. (2019) found that the diversity of the gut microbiome promotes healthier sleep. Specifically, high abundance and diversity of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes correlated with improved sleep efficiency (percentage of time spent asleep while in bed) and reduced sleep fragmentation.
- Conversely, sleep loss can alter the gut microbiota composition through increased hunger and decreased physical activity.
What is the driver?
- While it is not yet established whether the gut dysbiosis or sleep impairment is the stronger driver of the gut-sleep relationship, it is clear that they impact each other.
- By building better sleep habits and eating gut-friendly foods such as those rich in fiber, we can create a positive cycle in this relationship.
👨 Research done in humans🐭 Research done in mice
Sources:
Matenchuk et al. 2020
Smith et al. 2019