Children who go to bed early have greater diversity in their gut microbiota and more beneficial bacteria, according to a study that suggests a relationship between sleep patterns, gut health and cognitive development.
The health of our intestinal flora depends on factors such as lifestyle, and having healthy habits such as restful sleep and a balanced diet is key to having a greater number of beneficial bacteria in the intestine which, in turn, promote proper functioning. of the organism. Now, new research has discovered notable differences in the gut microbiota of children who go to bed early compared to those who go to sleep late.
Specifically, their results have shown that children with earlier sleep schedules had greater microbial diversity in their intestinal flora and also had more beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila. These bacteria are related to maintaining intestinal health and have also been linked to healthy cognitive functions.
Previous studies have already shown that adequate sleep improves academic performance, promotes physical growth and is associated with healthier BMI levels. The current research has been carried out by researchers from the Department of Children’s Rehabilitation in China and has analyzed the relationship between children’s sleep patterns and their gut microbiota. Their findings have been published in Scientific Reports.
Connection between sleep, microbiota and cognition
The researchers analyzed the genetics of fecal samples from 88 healthy children, ages 2 to 14. The children were divided into two groups according to their sleep schedules: those who went to bed before 9:30 p.m. and those who went to bed later. For two weeks, they kept sleep diaries that recorded factors such as bedtime, nighttime awakenings, sleep efficiency, and sleep quality.
The genomic analysis revealed that children who went to bed early had a greater presence of certain beneficial intestinal bacteria, especially Akkermansia muciniphila, which was significantly more common in this group. Other bacteria present in greater quantities in children who fell asleep early included Holdemania filiformis, Firmicutes bacterium CAG-95, Streptococcus sp. A12, Weissella confusing, Clostridium sp. CAG-253, Alistipes finegoldii, and Eubacterium siraeum.
In addition, a greater amount of CAG-83 fungi was observed in the group of children with early sleep schedules. At the phylum and genus level, the bacteria Verrucomicrobia, Akkermansia, Holdemania and unclassified Firmicutes were more abundant in the early bedtime group.
Correlation analysis between sleep parameters and microbial species showed that Akkermansia muciniphila and Alistipes finegoldii were positively correlated with the time it took to fall asleep. On the other hand, Clostridium sp. CAG-253 had a negative correlation with sleep latency.
The findings highlight the importance of children enjoying sufficient hours of sleep to support their cognitive and physical development.
Alistipes finegoldii was also positively correlated with total sleep duration, but negatively correlated with dream frequency and sleep efficiency. Likewise, negative correlations were found between Alistipes finegoldii, Akkermansia muciniphila and Holdemania filiformis in relation to sleep quality.
Metabolic analysis revealed increased activity in amino acid metabolism and neurotransmitter regulation in children who fell asleep early. These metabolic pathways are crucial for brain function and development, suggesting a possible connection between gut health and cognition.
It is possible that these findings are correlating sleep patterns with microbiota results or, conversely, that it is the microbiota that influences sleep patterns. Although the study focused on the first hypothesis, the children’s sleep schedules were their usual routines, without intervention from the researchers. These correlations offer great potential for future research, which could address the causal mechanisms behind the connection between sleep, microbiota and cognition.
The conclusions of the study indicate that there were significant “variations in the diversity, abundance and metabolic pathways of species in the intestinal flora between individuals who maintain a constant sleep schedule and those with irregular sleep patterns” and highlight the importance of Children enjoy enough hours of sleep to support their cognitive and physical development. Furthermore, their results provide a new perspective for developing therapies that address sleep disorders in pediatric patients.
