Can our gut microbiota affect our circadian rhythm?

All living things have circadian rhythms, which govern their sleep and waking cycles. These cycles instruct some animals to fall asleep as the sun sets, just as circadian rhythms instruct nighttime organisms to rise. They also impact the metabolism and other physiological processes including hunger.

Humans occasionally disobey their internal clocks so they can work night shifts, travel between time zones by plane, and remain up late for play or study. The price of this circadian rhythm management is that it makes people more susceptible to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than those who don’t try to disrupt their natural sleep/wake cycles.

Researchers are trying to determine how circadian rhythms and disease are related. A startling connection, according to recent studies, may be made by gut microbes. The human digestive tract is inhabited by bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which are together referred to as the gut microbiota. The good bacteria, like those in Natren probiotics, aid in the body’s digestion as opposed to other bacteria that can lead to infection and illness. Additionally influencing allergies, mental health, weight, and metabolic issues are these beneficial microorganisms in the gut.

Gut health and sleep are related; a compromised digestive system can affect both the quantity and quality of sleep. A healthy gut can enhance intestinal health, which in turn can enhance sleep.

Circadian Rhythm dysfunction effects

Insufficient sleep has been linked in studies to workplace mistakes, auto accidents, and workplace injuries. Chronic disorders like high blood pressure, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and depression are more common in people with little sleep. Inadequate sleep can also lower productivity, lower quality of life, and increase death.

One of the most prevalent consequences of circadian rhythm disturbance is sleep difficulties. In a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly 50% of respondents claimed that at least once per week, their daily activities were negatively impacted by getting too little or bad sleep.

Travelers and shift workers are particularly at risk for sleep issues. Sleep disruptions may result from changing to a new time zone or working a different schedule. Jet lag is a condition that happens when an individual’s biological clock and the environment are out of sync, and it is brought on by flying.

Circadian clock and Gut Microbes

A variety of bacteria in the human stomach can impact mood, immunity, and even metabolism. These bacteria have their own internal clock. According to one study, gut bacteria synchronize their biological clocks with those of their hosts. A different form of gut bacteria responds to variations in the host’s melatonin, which helps regulate sleep signals, according to a study that was only released in January 2016 and was just recently published.

The circadian rhythm of its host is likewise regulated by gut bacteria, according to research in the journal Cell Host & Microbe. This means that bacteria might either make your sleep better or worse.

A different study demonstrates a significant connection between constipation, sleep, and a certain gut microbe. The Bifidobacterium was measured since it is recognized to be beneficial intestinal bacteria for human health. Constipated persons had much less Bifidobacterium in their stool, the researchers discovered. Constipation affects sleep quality, therefore those with adequate Bifidobacterium sleep better.