Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans

Abstract

The human gut microbiome can influence health through the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Growing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome can influence sleep quality. Previous studies that have examined sleep deprivation and the human gut microbiome have yielded conflicting results. A recent study found that sleep deprivation leads to changes in gut microbiome composition while a different study found that sleep deprivation does not lead to changes in gut microbiome. Accordingly, the relationship between sleep physiology and the gut microbiome remains unclear. To address this uncertainty, we used actigraphy to quantify sleep measures coupled with gut microbiome sampling to determine how the gut microbiome correlates with various measures of sleep physiology. We measured immune system biomarkers and carried out a neurobehavioral assessment as these variables might modify the relationship between sleep and gut microbiome composition. We found that total microbiome diversity was positively correlated with increased sleep efficiency and total sleep time, and was negatively correlated with wake after sleep onset. We found positive correlations between total microbiome diversity and interleukin-6, a cytokine previously noted for its effects on sleep. Analysis of microbiome composition revealed that within phyla richness of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were positively correlated with sleep efficiency, interleukin-6 concentrations and abstract thinking. Finally, we found that several taxa (Lachnospiraceae, Corynebacterium, and Blautia) were negatively correlated with sleep measures. Our findings initiate linkages between gut microbiome composition, sleep physiology, the immune system and cognition. They may lead to mechanisms to improve sleep through the manipulation of the gut microbiome.

A Mediterranean Dietary Pattern Predicts Better Sleep Quality in US Women from the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network

“…As we have discussed in a previous review [1], food sources encouraged by a Mediterranean diet pattern, including fruits and vegetables, are often rich sources of fiber and other nutrients that can have beneficial effects on the microbial composition of the gut, such as a lower ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes [1,45]. In turn, markers of healthy composition of gut flora have been linked with better sleep [46]. However, physiological mechanisms underlying the aMed diet-sleep quality association require further investigation, possibly using clinical investigations that evaluate the effect of an aMed diet intervention on sleep quality and corresponding changes in microbial composition or circulating melatonin.…”

Sleep and Microbiome in Psychiatric Diseases

“…They found that total microbiome diversity was positively correlated with increased sleep efficiency and total sleep time along with positive correlations between total microbiome diversity and interleukin-6. Their analysis of the microbiome composition revealed that phyla richness of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were positively correlated with sleep efficiency and several taxa like Lachnospiraceae, Corynebacterium and Blautia were negatively correlated with sleep measures [82]. These quantified sleep measures differ clearly from the self rating measures described in the reviewed papers in patients with psychiatric diseases and clarify the need of objective measures in patients with psychiatric diseases.…”

Correlations of Gut Microbiome, Serum Metabolome and Immune Factors in Insomnia

“…But the assessment of metabolic function is only based on PICRUSt function prediction. Smith et al also con rmed the association between gut microbiota diversity and sleep physiology 22 . In addition, they found that positive correlations between total microbiome diversity and IL-6.…”