Microbes in the Moonlight: How the Gut Microbiota Influences Sleep

TL;DR

This review highlights how the gut microbiota influences sleep regulation through neural, hormonal, and immune pathways, and discusses microbiota-targeted therapies as potential sleep disorder treatments.

Contribution

It synthesizes recent research on the gut microbiota's role in sleep and explores microbiota-targeted interventions for sleep health.

Findings

Gut dysbiosis affects neurotransmitter metabolism linked to sleep disturbances.

Microbiota-targeted therapies show promise in improving sleep quality.

Disruptions in gut microbiota are associated with neurodegenerative and mood disorders.

Abstract

The gut microbiota has emerged as a fundamental regulator of sleep physiology, influencing neural, endocrine, and immune pathways through the gut-microbiota-brain axis (GMBA). This bidirectional communication system modulates neurotransmitter production, circadian rhythms, and metabolic homeostasis, while disruptions in microbial composition have been linked to sleep disorders, neuroinflammation, and systemic immune dysfunction. Recent findings suggest that gut dysbiosis contributes to sleep disturbances by altering serotonin, GABA, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolism, with implications for neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic syndromes, and mood disorders. Additionally, the gut microbiota interacts with the endocrine and immune systems, shaping inflammatory responses and stress adaptation mechanisms. This review explores the intricate connections between sleep and the gut microbiota, integrating emerging research on microbiota-targeted therapies, such as probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and chrononutrition, as potential interventions to restore sleep homeostasis and improve health outcomes