An unexpected danger of poor sleep for gut health has identified

A large-scale study has revealed a bidirectional link between sleep characteristics and gut microbiome composition: people with better sleep quality and less pronounced social jet lag have greater gut bacterial diversity and a higher proportion of beneficial species. The work was published in the journal Nature Communications (NatCom).

The authors analyzed data on sleep patterns, chronotype, and social jet lag — the discrepancy between a person's biological clock and their actual schedule on weekdays and weekends — in several thousand volunteers. Disruption of biorhythms, and not just reduced sleep duration, was associated with decreased microbial diversity and an increase in pro-inflammatory species.

The link is explained by bidirectional interaction. Gut bacteria are involved in the synthesis of serotonin, melatonin, and GABA — neurotransmitters that regulate sleep. In turn, sleep disruption alters gut peristalsis, environmental acidity, and the mucosal immune response, creating favorable conditions for pathogenic species while suppressing beneficial ones.

The authors particularly highlight social jet lag: shifting wake-up time by even one to two hours on weekends significantly correlates with changes in flora composition. Night shift workers, students, and frequent travelers are at particular risk both in terms of microbiome quality and related metabolic disorders. The researchers recommend maintaining a stable sleep schedule all seven days of the week and sleeping no less than six to eight hours.