Study links children’s bedtimes to gut health and finds that early sleepers have greater microbial diversity in their gut flora

Researchers from the Department of Children’s Rehabilitation in China have found significant differences in the gut microbiota of children who go to bed early compared to children who stay up late. The study found that children with earlier bedtimes had greater microbial diversity in their gut flora.

Beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila were more common in the early sleepers. These bacteria are associated with maintaining gut health and have been linked to healthy cognitive function.

Previous studies have shown that getting enough sleep improves academic performance and physical growth and is associated with a healthier BMI. The current study examined the connection between children’s sleep patterns and their gut microbiota. In an article entitled “Characteristics of the intestinal flora in children who go to bed early or late,” published in Scientific reportsResearchers analyzed the genomics of stool samples from 88 healthy children ages 2 to 14.

The children were divided into two groups based on their bedtimes: those who slept before 9:30 p.m. and those who slept after. Over a two-week period, sleep diaries recorded factors such as time to fall asleep, night wakings, sleep efficiency and sleep quality.

Genomic analysis found that children who went to bed early had higher frequencies of certain beneficial gut bacteria. In particular, Akkermansia muciniphila was significantly more common in the early bedtime group.

Other elevated bacterial counts in early sleepers included Holdemania filiformis, the Firmicutes bacterium CAG-95, and Streptococcus sp. A12, Weissella confusa, Clostridium sp. CAG-253, Alistipes finegoldii and Eubacterium siraeum. In addition, concentrations of CAG-83 mushrooms were higher in the group that went to bed early.

At phylum and genus levels, Verrucomicrobia, Akkermansia, Holdemania and unclassified Firmicutes showed higher abundance in the early sleeper group.

A correlation analysis between sleep metrics and microbial species revealed that Akkermansia muciniphila and Alistipes finegoldii were positively correlated with sleep onset time. Clostridium sp. CAG-253 was negatively correlated with sleep onset latency.

Alistipes finegoldii was positively correlated with total sleep duration but negatively correlated with dream frequency and sleep efficiency. Negative correlations were observed between Alistipes finegoldii, Akkermansia muciniphila and Holdemania filiformis in relation to sleep quality.

Metabolic analysis showed increased activity in amino acid metabolism and neurotransmitter regulation in early sleepers. These pathways are critical to brain function and development and suggest a possible connection to gut health and cognition.

“These differences in biodiversity and metabolic pathways suggest that sleep patterns have a significant impact on the gut microbiota,” the research paper states. “Our findings could lead to new pharmacological interventions for sleep disorders in children.”

Correlation without causation

The finding could be to correlate sleep patterns with microbiome results or vice versa, with the microbiome influencing sleep patterns. While the study focused on the first scenario, the children’s sleep schedules corresponded to their own regular, habitual bedtimes without the researchers’ intervention.

These correlations have great potential to be pursued in multiple directions to determine the causal mechanisms behind the sleep-gut-cognitive association.

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