Could Healthy Bacteria Improve Your Sleep Quality?

We all know how important a good night's sleep is. It helps us recover, maintain a healthy metabolism, and keep our brains functioning properly. But there's a surprising player in the world of sleep quality: your gut. Recent research shows that gut health and sleep are closely connected, forming a parallel relationship that impacts everything from recovery and metabolism to neurological health. 

How Does Gut Health Affect Sleep?

The gut and brain are in constant communication through what is known as the gut-brain axis. This complex network involves nerves, hormones, and immune signals that work together to regulate various bodily functions, including sleep. When the gut is healthy, it sends signals that help maintain a regular sleep cycle. 

Beneficial gut bacteria play a key role by producing compounds like serotonin and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which can influence melatonin production and the body’s circadian rhythm. Melatonin, a hormone crucial for sleep, is synthesized from serotonin—up to 90% of which is produced in the gut.

Multiple studies have demonstrated this connection. In a pilot study on young, healthy individuals, better self-reported sleep quality was associated with greater microbial diversity and higher levels of beneficial bacteria. 

Conversely, participants with poorer sleep had less microbial diversity and an imbalance in gut bacteria, particularly an increased Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, which has been linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders. Inflammation plays a crucial role here. When the gut becomes inflamed—due to factors like a poor diet, stress, or gut dysbiosis—it triggers the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These molecules can disrupt normal sleep patterns, leading to lighter, less restorative sleep.

Research has also shown that gut inflammation affects the body’s stress response, which can further impair sleep. Elevated cytokine levels are known to disrupt slow-wave and REM sleep, the restorative stages critical for memory and overall health. 

Furthermore, studies examining dietary inflammation found that people consuming more inflammatory foods experienced lower sleep quality and increased sleep disturbances. On the other hand, diets rich in fiber and fermented foods that support gut health have been associated with longer and deeper sleep.

What Does Sleep Deprivation Do to Health?

Poor sleep and poor gut health are part of a cycle that feeds into itself, worsening over time. When you don’t get enough sleep, it affects the balance of bacteria in your gut. In turn, an unhealthy gut makes it harder to get quality rest, creating a loop that can be tough to break. Even a single night of poor sleep can change the makeup of your gut microbiome. If this pattern continues, it can lead to gut dysbiosis—an imbalance of gut bacteria that triggers inflammation, disrupts metabolism, and weakens your immune system.

One study found that after just 40 hours of sleep deprivation, participants experienced a significant decrease in microbial diversity and an increase in bacteria associated with inflammation. Another study indicated that sleep-deprived mice had higher levels of harmful gut bacteria and increased intestinal permeability, often referred to as "leaky gut." 

This condition allows harmful substances to pass from the gut into the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation that can further disrupt sleep and overall health.

Connecting All of That Information to Gut Health and immy

Gut health, inflammation, and sleep are deeply interconnected, and addressing one can significantly improve the others. Formulations containing beneficial mycobacteria, like immy, offer a new way to support this connection. Mycolicibacteria like immy have been extensively studied for their immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory effects.

In one study, mice subjected to chronic sleep disruption displayed increased inflammation, elevated stress hormones, and disturbed sleep patterns. However, when treated with heat-killed Mycolicibacterium, these mice experienced noticeable improvements in sleep quality, lower inflammation, and enhanced ability to cope with stress, suggesting that introducing beneficial bacteria into the gut may help break the cycle of poor sleep and chronic inflammation.

At immy, we are dedicated to helping you harness the benefits of a balanced gut microbiome to support better sleep and overall well-being. Our formulations with beneficial mycobacteria are designed to reduce inflammation and promote gut health—factors that play a critical role in how well you sleep, how you handle stress, and how your body recovers. 

The information provided here is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This does not replace advice from a physician or medical professional. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.