Could Probiotics Help When Dealing With Chronic Sleep Loss? Study Says Yes

By now we all understand the importance of getting a good night's sleep, but whether you have a busy schedule, a new baby, or issues falling asleep and staying asleep, sometimes good sleep hygiene is more difficult to prioritize.

For this study, researchers wanted to look into how probiotics impacted the effects of chronic sleep loss. To do so, they split mice into two groups: ones that had a week of chronic sleep restriction, and ones that were sleeping normally, with half of the mice in each group getting a probiotic formula.

Based on analyzing protein, lipid, and DNA oxidation levels, along with gut-brain axis hormones and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain, the researchers observed that chronic sleep restriction not only caused oxidative stress but also promoted inflammation and altered gut-brain axis hormones.

Interestingly enough, however, for the mice with chronic sleep loss who had been administered a probiotic formula, the researchers saw that the probiotic boosted antioxidant capacity in their brains, which helped to temper the aforementioned oxidative stress.

"It positively regulated gut–brain axis hormones and reduced peripheral and brain inflammation induced by chronic sleep restriction," the study authors added.

Of course, one of the best ways to mitigate the effects of chronic sleep loss is to, well, prioritize quality sleep. To that end, rules of thumb like going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, plus limiting caffeine late in the day, are important to follow.

If you're not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, you may want to consider incorporating a research-backed sleep supplement into your routine with ingredients that are proven to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep—like magnesium and pharmaGABA.