Due to the effect a leaky gut can have on digestion and the body's immune response, higher cortisol levels are also common with this condition. The increase of this stress hormone throughout the body can make it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
In short, disrupted gastrointestinal microbiomes play an important role in the development of mental disorders such as insomnia and depression.
Research suggests that your gut health can affect your sleep, and vice versa. This is in part due to the connection between your brain and what's known as your gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria and other microscopic organisms that live in your gut.
Fiber: Fiber has been proven to enhance the production of healthy bacteria in the body. In addition to promoting a healthier gut and better sleep, fiber can also prevent allergies, arthritis, and Type 2 Diabetes.
Intestinal health has a close connection with healthy brain function. New research from the University of Tsukuba in Japan suggests that gut bacteria may also influence normal sleep patterns by helping create important chemical messengers in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine.
Sleep quality also seems to benefit from probiotic supplementation. Takada et al. (13) reported an improvement in sleep quality in academic students during a period of increasing stress after 11 weeks of probiotics consumption.
Another recent study suggested that taking a multi-strain probiotic containing Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium could be especially helpful for promoting sleep.
Food restriction increases melatonin concentrations in the gut and in the brain in mice[23]. These distinct changes in melatonin levels suggest that there may be a physiological role for melatonin in the regulation of digestion and in the control of food intake.
We recommend staying on the diet for at least 3-4 weeks as it will take about that long to “heal the gut.” Some patients may take up to 3 months to reestablish a normal functioning intestinal mucosa.
If your gut microbiome is struggling to digest tryptophan and turn it into serotonin, you're likely going to find it much more difficult to feel sleepy when it's time to head to bed. You may also be more prone to experiencing restless sleep, or find that you're waking up more often.
Increased intestinal permeability, also called leaky gut, is linked with chronic fatigue.
Cardiovascular system. Sleep affects processes that keep your heart and blood vessels healthy, including those that affect your blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation levels.
The human gut microbiome can influence health through the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Growing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome can influence sleep quality.
Melatonin, the “darkness hormone" essential to sleep and a healthy sleep-wake cycle, also contributes to maintaining gut health. Deficiencies in melatonin have been linked to increased permeability of the gut—the so-called "leaky gut" increasingly associated with a range of diseases.
Cherries
Cherries (especially sour cherries like the Montmorency variety) are one of the only (and highest) natural food sources of melatonin.
Eggs and fish are higher melatonin-containing food groups in animal foods, whereas in plant foods, nuts are with the highest content of melatonin. Some kinds of mushrooms, cereals and germinated legumes or seeds are also good dietary sources of melatonin.
Fasting during prolonged periods gives the gut the time it needs to restore its integrity. This is especially important for those with “leaky gut”, also called intestinal permeability, where the gut lining is weakened thereby allowing toxins, partially digested foods and pathogens to enter the bloodstream.
Processed foods, as well as alcohol, can also negatively impact gut health. Prebiotic and probiotic foods like whole grains, onions, garlic, fermented foods, miso and yogurt feed the good bacteria in your gut.
The ideal time to take probiotics is right before bed because "the gut is pretty inactive at night. If you think about it, you don't usually wake up in the middle of the night to poop,” says Patricia Raymond, MD, a gastroenterology and internal medicine physician and clinical advisor for Gastro Girl.
Research shows the best time to take a probiotic is first thing in the morning before eating breakfast or before going to sleep at night. Probiotics are most effective when taken on an empty stomach.