Sleep and Digestion

Sleep disturbances set up vicious cycles of pain, fatigue, and emotional distress that make sleep even more unlikely. Things don't improve much during waking hours either for people who do not sleep well. Inadequate sleep increases sensitivity to bowel, skin, and muscle stimuli, thus leading to more pain and distress. Many people report that when they don't get sufficient sleep, their digestion suffers as a result. The brain and gut are much alike. Both have natural 90-minute cycles. The slow wave sleep of the brain is interrupted by periods of rapid eye movement, or REM sleep, in which dreams occur. Poor sleep (and thus abnormal REM sleep-) has been reported by many if not most patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and non-ulcer dyspepsia (sour stomach). Doctors often treat abnormal REM sleep with mild antidepressants, which may also be effective in treating IBS and non-ulcer dyspepsia. However, some stronger antidepressants make digestive problems worse. Once again this points to a link between sleeping problems and stomach problems. Do the two influence each other? Most likely.