Gut Health and Sleep
Gut Health and Sleep: How Are They Connected?
By Molly Knudsen, MS, RDN
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need seven or more hours of sleep each night to support overall health.1 Unfortunately, a staggering 35.2% of adults fall short of this goal, experiencing what is known as short sleep duration.1 This lack of sleep can have a significant impact on both our mental and physical wellbeing.1
Getting a restful night’s sleep can be a challenge for many reasons. Exposure to light, electronic media usage, and caffeine consumption late at night are all habits that have been shown to contribute to poor sleep quality.2 Mounting evidence suggests that a lack of sleep might be linked to an unexpected source: our gut health.
