Improving the quality and quantity of your sleep alone can have a dramatic impact on your digestive health, and in turn your performance and body composition. When we sleep, we heal and restore our digestive tract. Reduction in the quantity and quality of your sleep has been shown to have direct impacts on the diversity of your microbiome.
Before we try to fix our sleep, we have to appreciate the concept of circadian rhythm. Our bodies have an internal clock that controls a wide range of functions in the body, from sleep to digestion. Our internal clock is influenced by our interaction with the outside environment.
Light is one of the most impactful stimuli to alter our circadian rhythms. Food is another stimulus.
Rhythm is important in helping your body understand what to expect when – so keeping a regular routine of when you wake, eat, and sleep will aid better digestion, sleep, and energy.
Things that disrupt our circadian rhythms like abnormal sleep patterns, artificial light at night, eating late at night, stress, and shift work can impact our gut health. The mechanism is still being understood, but the gut microbiome is likely playing a key role.
Conversely, things that impact our gut health also impact our circadian rhythms and in turn our sleep. Poor food quality, refined sugar, antibiotics, probiotics, etc., can all have an impact on our sleep.
Working towards better sleep quality and getting enough sleep is one of the most accessible ways to improve your quality of life – not only gut health, but also your energy, focus, performance, and body composition. Even small changes stack up. Here are some ways to get started:
- Know your bedtime and stick to one sleep schedule, even on the weekend (if you do shift work, try to aim for as much consistency as you can)
- Eliminate all caffeine starting at 2 pm (or earlier, if you are more sensitive to caffeine – tracking helps awareness here)
- Stop exercising 4 hours before bedtime
- Spend 15 mins in sunlight each morning
- Set a bedtime reminder on your phone and get in bed with lights out, even if you aren’t sleepy yet
- Darken your room with blackout curtains, or use a sleep mask. White noise can also help
- Lower the temperature of your room if possible to between 60-67 degrees Farenheit
- Track your sleep – time in bed does not equal time asleep. A sleep tracker such as Whoop can help provide more insight into the actual quantity and quality of your sleep
- Try blue blocker glasses in the evening hours – you can start with an inexpensive pair and upgrade if they help
- Eliminate late night eating or eating just before bed
