The Gut Microbiota in Patients with Short-Sleep Insomnia
Insomnia can induce low-grade systemic inflammatory response, activate the HPA axis, vagal nerve pathway, immune system, and neurotransmitter release, thereby leading to intestinal dysbiosis, intestinal barrier destruction and altered intestinal permeability, and ultimately affect the composition of intestinal microbiota. (Dicks, 2022). Research indicates that the composition of gut microbiota in insomnia patients differs significantly from that in healthy individuals, with a greater abundance of pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus in the intestines of insomnia sufferers (Wang et al., 2022a). Modulating gut microbiota can improve sleep disorders in patients. Oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 significantly reduced Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores in insomnia patients (P < 0.05), while simultaneously elevating 5-HT levels. It also increased the proportion of delta waves during REM sleep and reduced high-frequency brainwave activity (Ho et al., 2021). A limitation of existing research lies in the fact that the insomnia patients included are mostly screened via scales, without subdividing various subtypes of insomnia. The relationship between short-sleep insomnia and gut microbiota changes remains unclear.