Sleep is one of those things that we just can’t do without. In that sense, it is like food. If you are hungry, even Brussels sprouts can start looking good. If you are sleep-deprived, you will be craving a nap or nodding off at odd times. You can also get irritable and less efficient.
Lack of sleep can cause auto accidents, industrial accidents, and many mistakes, burn-outs, and mood swings.
Chronic lack of sleep can be associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.
You are more apt to eat high-calorie comfort foods or highly processed foods if you are sleep-deprived. Lack of sleep can lead to poor eating, which can become a vicious cycle. Research tells us that eating poorly and/or eating highly processed foods creates a dysfunctional microbiome in your gut, which, in turn, can adversely affect your sleep.
Many times, individuals don’t do anything about their lack of sleep. They just keep going. Or, they may use a sleep aid like Ambien or melatonin. However, Ambien is not recommended for regular use, and melatonin is unregulated and it can be difficult to know how much you are getting.
As it turns out, getting to sleep and staying asleep is not just a matter of bringing on a few chemicals to make it happen. Our bodies have a circadian rhythm, which kicks in and lets us know that it is time for sleep. But, as with everything that happens in our bodies, nothing happens in isolation. Sleep isn’t just sleep. Sleep is a total body function.
The link between gut health and sleep has been the subject of extensive investigation. Science is even calling the........