A good night’s sleep can make a world of difference in your day-to-day life. It sets the tone for how your day will go. It impacts your energy, motivation, mood, memory, awareness, and the way you feel.
Of course, the other side of this coin is not getting enough sleep, which can cause you to feel under the weather, grumpy, on edge, unmotivated, and like your energy tank is empty. Not to mention the fact that not being able to sleep is frustrating, and something we have all struggled with at one point or another.
Whether your sleep struggles cause you to stare at the ceiling for hours on end, wake up multiple times a night, or present themselves in some other way, there are a number of different culprits that could be the cause. But one you may be overlooking is your gut.
To understand how one affects the other, you first need to understand how the gut works. So here’s a recap.
The term ‘gut’ is used to refer to your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which is the passageway that allows food and drinks to travel through your digestive system. Along this path are different types of bacteria, both good and bad, that work together to help regulate your gut health.
Collectively, all of these bacteria make up what is known as the gut microbiome. The trillions of bacteria that make up your gut microbiome have a number of important roles, including assisting with the digestion of food and regulating your immune system.
What’s more? The gut is often referred to as the second brain because it has the ability to communicate directly with your brain via something known as the gut-brain axis.
In order for all of your gut bacteria to do their job, your gut has to be healthy and balanced, meaning that there are more beneficial bacteria than there are harmful ones. While the composition of bacteria in your gut microbiome is constantly changing, it is also heavily influenced by your actions, which is why living a healthy lifestyle that consists of eating plenty of whole foods, getting plenty of exercise, and taking gut-health supplements like probiotics is of the utmost importance.
So, how is your gut health connected to sleep? Let us explain.
Many of your body’s natural functions are regulated by circadian rhythms, which are the physical, mental, and behavioral changes happening in your body based on a 24-hour cycle. One of the most well-known circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle. As you likely already know, your body’s sleep-wake cycle is highly dependent on light exposure, which is why we are more prone to being awake during the day and sleeping at night.
Your sleep schedule isn’t the only thing that is impacted by circadian rhythms, though—your gut bacteria also follow a 24-hour cycle. Based on this cycle, the abundance of certain strains of gut bacteria fluctuates, and since these bacteria produce important compounds like proteins, hormones, and neurotransmitters, your body’s ability to produce those compounds also changes.
When we are talking about the connection between your gut and your sleep schedule, the important thing to note is that your gut produces many important neurotransmitters and hormones like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and melatonin based on its circadian rhythm, and both of these compounds play an important role in your sleep cycle.
GABA is a neurotransmitter that inhibits the central nervous system, which helps the body relax, fall asleep, and sleep soundly through the night. Meanwhile, melatonin is often referred to as the sleep hormone because it tells your body that it is time to go to sleep. Once your gut bacteria produce them, these sleep-promoting compounds are sent off to your brain via the gut-brain axis so they can get to work.
However, the true impact on your sleep comes when your gut is in a state of dysbiosis, or imbalance. When this happens, the bacteria that produce GABA and melatonin may not be nearly as abundant as they should be, which in turn lowers your body’s production of these important compounds and interferes with your natural sleep cycle. Additionally, an unhealthy gut microbiome can disrupt your gut-brain axis, causing a lapse in the transmission of signals and compounds like GABA and melatonin.
All that to say, taking steps to keep your gut healthy can go a long way when it comes to getting your sleep schedule back on track.
Here at New Earth, we understand the important role that your gut health plays in all other areas of your health, including your sleep schedule. That’s why we put in the work to create the ultimate gut-health supplements and combine them into a single, daily pack called Essentials.
These daily gut-health packets have everything you need to nourish your gut so that it is well equipped to support the rest of your body. With probiotics, digestive enzymes, and the superfood known as organic Wild Microalgae™, Essentials packets are a simple and effective way to support your gut no matter what your daily routine looks like.
The best part is you can put it to the test risk-free with our 60-day money-back guarantee.