The importance of sleep and rest for good gut health is often overlooked. Yet, when it comes to our overall wellness - both physical and mental - sleep is one of the most crucial factors, especially for our Gut Health!
With World Sleep Day upon us - 14 March - it’s the perfect time to reflect on the role of sleep in our health. The 2025 theme, ‘Make Sleep Health a Priority’, highlights the importance of quality rest as a foundation for overall wellbeing - including gut health and digestion.
Sleep helps your body digest food and absorb nutrients. It's during sleep that your body replenishes and repairs itself - a process known as Rest and Digest. When we sleep, our body carries out essential repair work, ensuring our organs can function optimally to keep us healthy.
Lack of sleep can leave you feeling tired and sluggish, which directly impacts digestion. While you rest, your body repairs damaged cells and tissues - including those in your digestive tract. However, when sleep-deprived, the body produces more of the stress hormone; cortisol, which can negatively affect the digestive system.
Sleep also plays a key role in regulating hunger hormones. Insufficient sleep disrupts hormone levels like ghrelin (which increases appetite) and leptin (which signals fullness), making overeating or poor food choices more likely. A stressed body produces excess stomach acid, increasing the risk of heartburn and indigestion.
Chronic sleep deprivation can make you more susceptible to digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In fact, studies show that people with IBS often experience worsened symptoms when their sleep is disrupted. This may be due to hormonal fluctuations during REM sleep, such as increased cortisol and adrenaline, which can make the stomach more sensitive even while we sleep.
Sleep is an essential part of the body's natural healing process. Throughout the night, the body cycles through several sleep stages, each playing a role in restoration and overall function.
There are four stages of sleep, divided into two main types:
- Stages 1 to 3: Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep, also known as quiet sleep.
- Stage 4: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, also known as active sleep or paradoxical sleep.
The deepest stage, REM sleep, is when the body releases human growth hormone, which helps repair damaged cells and tissues - including those in the digestive system.
Quality sleep also stabilises blood sugar levels, leading to more consistent energy levels and fewer hunger spikes.
How Much Sleep Do We Need?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends:
- 7-9 hours of sleep per night for adults aged 26-64 years.
- 8+ hours for those over 65 or under 18.
Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep
Thankfully, there are simple ways to improve sleep quality, helping to manage stress and support overall health - including gut health.
Here are a few practical tips for better sleep:
1. Avoid Large Meals at Dinner
Digestion takes between 1.5-3 hours, meaning heavy meals can keep the body working when it should be resting. If you struggle with sleep, opt for a lighter, easily digestible dinner. Try a salad with light fish or a warming soup in colder months. Meat-heavy or pasta-heavy meals take longer to process.
2. Reduce Screen Time
At least one hour before bed, turn off devices. Scrolling through messages, social media, or websites stimulates the brain, tricking it into thinking it’s still working. Next thing you know, an hour has passed, and your mind is too active for sleep.
3. Create a Downtime Ritual
A well-crafted evening routine signals to your body that it's time to unwind, reducing stress and preparing you for a restful night. By incorporating calming rituals, you can ease into sleep more naturally while also supporting overall wellbeing.
- Take a shower or a bath with magnesium salts and calming essential oils like lavender, magnolia, or patchouli to help release tension from the day.
- Enjoy a soothing herbal tea. If chamomile isn’t to your taste, try a sleep tea or a digestive tea to support gut health after dinner. A simple herbal tea ritual can help calm the mind and aid digestion before bed. The perfect option? Our Soothe PROPPR-tea – a carefully crafted blend designed to aid digestion while promoting relaxation, making it an ideal companion for a restful night’s sleep.
- Aim to go to bed before 10pm – the most restorative sleep happens between 10pm-12am, when melatonin is released to regulate your sleep cycle.
4. Keep a Journal by Your Bed
Many people who struggle with sleep have a racing mind at night. Keeping a journal for "mind dumping" helps clear thoughts before bed, relieving the pressure of remembering everything for the next day. Once it’s written down, you can let it go.
5. Try Breathwork or Meditation
By slowing the breath, we tap into the parasympathetic nervous system - the system responsible for ‘rest and digest’. Simple breathing exercises can lower heart rate and induce relaxation.
Yoga Nidra is another excellent technique. While it’s best to limit screen time as noted above, the Insight Timer app offers great guided meditations. If using your phone, set it to ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, so you’re not tempted to check it afterward.
6. Make Your Bedroom a Sleep Sanctuary
Your bedroom should be a peaceful, clutter-free space that invites rest. A minimalist setup with soft lighting, calming colours, and simple decor can enhance relaxation.
- If noise is an issue, consider high-quality earplugs or an eye mask to block out noise and light.
- Block Blue Light offers great sleep-friendly products to optimise your bedroom environment.
Sweet Dreams for Better Gut Health
Prioritising sleep is one of the simplest - yet most effective - ways to support digestion and overall health. As World Sleep Day reminds us, ‘Make Sleep Health a Priority’ by adopting good sleep habits that benefit both your gut and your overall well-being.
So... here on World Sleep Day 2025, we wish you deep, restful nights for a healthier body and mind.