Recent studies from the University of Tsukuba in Japan have shown that intestinal health has a very close connection with healthy brain function. Gut bacteria may influence your sleep patterns by helping to create important chemical messengers such as serotonin and dopamine. The study’s lead author, Professor Masashi Yanagisawa, stated that “microbe depletion eliminates serotonin in the gut, and we know that serotonin levels in the brain can affect sleep-wake cycles…Thus, changing which microbes are in the gut by altering diet has the potential to help those who have trouble sleeping.” In other words, changing one’s diet can theoretically improve sleep patterns and habits for those who experience sleep-related health problems, such as insomnia, chronic fatigue, and mental fog. Further research is needed, but if this is the case, it would be a much more natural and simple treatment than, for example, taking sleep medication, which has been known to cause unwelcome side effects. The article goes more into the science of it all, details on the study, and its implications for future research.

Read more here.