Your gut microbiome is a major player in sleep regulation according to Dr David Gozal and his team from the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
It’s a two way process. When studying obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in mice, Gozal discovered that the condition severely affected their microbiome make-up. And by introducing that microbiome into healthy mice, they too developed the condition.
The researchers first recreated OSA in mice by exposing them to restricted oxygen – a known issue in OSA. They then observed significant changes in the mice microbiomes.
The researchers concluded that poor sleep patterns were associated with significant changes in the microbiome and these would be likely to cause diabetes, hypertension and cognitive problems, all known to be linked to poor sleep levels.
Go to: The dangers of poor sleep
Chris Woollams, Former Oxford University Biochemist and author of best seller ‘Heal your gut – Heal your body’ said, “We have known for quite a while that gut bacteria have circadian rhythms, and that you make melatonin in your pineal gland to send them a message telling them to go to sleep. Select bacteria make several hundred times the level of melatonin your brain makes. It keeps you asleep – and it’s a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Melatonin is also found in the bone marrow influencing the immune system. Stress, late night meals, antibiotics, drugs, smoking, alcohol and parasitic invasion can each and all influence the patterns of sleep”.
Go to: Melatonin – self-defence against cancer
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Reference
- Study finds microbiome plays important role in sleep regulation https://medicine.missouri.edu/news/study-finds-gut-microbiome-plays-important-role-sleep-regulation
