According to The Sleep Foundation, almost half of all Americans report feeling sleepy during the day between three and seven days per week! The recommended amount of sleep for adults is between seven to nine hours every night, yet around one third of the population does not hit this target. If you fall into these statistics, wouldn’t it be nice to fix that? How can you fix this? There is a connection between a healthy gut and sleep. That is why our product designed to promote better sleep, Harmony+, contains 5 billion CFU of probiotics.
Your gut microbiome influences your sleep, this takes into account having enough gut bacteria and prebiotic fibers. Prebiotic fibers are food sources that feed probiotics, our good bacteria. When probiotics feed on and break down prebiotic fibers, they produce metabolic by-products. These by-products include molecules such as short-chain fatty acids, which have a positive effect on brain chemistry. Diets rich in prebiotics are thought to help with improving the amount of growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which reduces stress linked to sleep deprivation in many people. Probiotic strains that may be helpful for sleep include Lactobacillicus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum. (1)These strains have been clinically researched in trials and are found to help with reducing anxiety and sleep disturbances along with improving low mood and the ability to deal with stress. (2) Both of these strains can be found in Harmony+.
When you get less sleep, specific gut bacteria become more active. (3) Interestingly enough, the strains in question are known to promote increased absorption of calories and energy uptake from foods. This is helpful in dealing with the depletion of energy caused by poor sleep, but it can also cause weight gain. Typically, these strains of bacteria are higher in obese individuals.
Lack of sleep doesn’t just affect how alert we feel the next morning. Research links insufficient sleep to changes in gut bacteria that could affect our general metabolism and negatively impact systems like our immune system. (4) Data collected from a study in 2017, showed that not getting enough sleep for even just two nights, as someone with insomnia might experience, significantly affected the participant’s gut flora. (5) The types of bacteria present in the gut did not necessarily change, however, the levels of each type of bacteria changed dramatically.
“Amazing, my sleep has really improved. It’s easy to get back to sleep if I wake in the night as well. I see huge improvements on my sleep tracker as well and am feeling so much better!”
– Ellie B.
Sleep deprivation also causes the body to increase the secretion of hormones like ghrelin (the hunger hormone). With this hormone promoting the urge to eat more and our gut bacteria already stimulating increased calorie intake from our food, the link between gut flora, sleep deprivation, and obesity looks even more likely. (6)
Not only does Harmony+ support relaxation and balances natural stressors that can throw off the body’s natural sleep wake cycle, but it works to initiate sleep and keep you asleep so you wake feeling refreshed. So, if you wondered why there were probiotics in a formula for a sleep supplement, now you know the connection! Improving your gut microbiome can have a whole host of benefits for your body, including sleep.
The contents of this blog should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem-nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
