Can Probiotics Help You Sleep?
You knew there were lots of herbs that could help you sleep. But the discovery that probiotics can help you sleep? That’s surprising!
The discovery that probiotics can help you sleep is surprising. But it is part of a growing body of evidence of what some researchers are now referring to as the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Increasing evidence is showing that microbiota in your gut communicate with the cognitive and emotional centers of your brain.
A startling recent study found that a blend of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotics could significantly improve sleep quality (Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:164), and a recent meta-analysis of 14 studies found that probiotics significantly improve sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Eur J Clin Nutr 2020;74:1536-49).
Now a new meta-analysis of 6 controlled studies has looked at the effect of a probiotic called Lactobacillus gasseri on sleep. The 343 people in the studies were all experiencing mild, chronic stress.
The meta-analysis revealed that the probiotic supplement significantly improved the global score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Four of the six studies found a significant improvement in at least one score of sleep quality. EEG assessments also found significant improvement in a number of outcomes.
This novel meta-analysis shows that taking probiotics can improve sleep and sleep quality in people with mild to moderate stress. It also adds to the recent evidence that your gut and your brain talk to each other and that gut health, which is improved by probiotics, improves mental health.
Clin Nutr. 2023 Aug;42(8):1314-1321.
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