In a new study, researchers found that poor sleep can negatively affect your gut microbiome, which can, in turn, lead to additional health issues.
The research was conducted by a team from Nova Southeastern University.
The team wanted to see just how much of a connection there is between what is going on in our insides and how that may impact the quality of sleep we experience.
Based on previous reports, they thought that poor sleep probably exerts a strong negative effect on gut health/microbiome diversity.
The gut microbiome is all the microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi) and their genetic material found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
For this study, participants wore an “Apple Watch on steroids” to bed, which monitored all sorts of vitals.
This way the researchers could determine just how well a night’s sleep the people got, and then they tested the subjects’ gut microbiome.
What they found was those who slept well had a more diverse—or “better”—gut microbiome.
The team says that gut microbiome diversity, or lack thereof, is associated with other health issues, such as Parkinson’s disease and autoimmune diseases, as well as psychological health (anxiety and depression.)
The more diverse someone’s gut microbiome is, the likelihood is they will have better overall health.
So what determines someone’s gut microbiome?
According to researchers, there are a couple of factors that come into play.
One is genetics—some people are predisposed at a genetic level to have a more diverse gut microbiome than their friends and neighbors.
Another factor is drugs—certain medications, including antibiotics, can have an impact on the diversity of your gut microbiome.
The team says their study may lead to a better understanding of the “two-way communication” between the person and their gut microbiome and could lead to novel sleep intervention strategies.
Eventually, people may be able to take steps to manipulate their gut microbiome in order to help them get a good night’s sleep.
The lead author of the study is Jaime Tartar, Ph.D.
The study is published in PLoS ONE.
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