Nutritionist Explains How Inadequate Sleep Can Disrupt Your Gut

Good sleep and good digestion are deeply connected. We often think of the gut only in terms of food – what we eat, how much we eat and when we eat. But there is more to it. The gut runs on a clock, just like the brain and hormones. When this clock is in sync, digestion works smoothly. But when it is disturbed, even healthy food may not sit well. And one of the biggest disruptors of this gut clock is late nights.

On Monday, nutritionist Lovneet Batra shared an Instagram post explaining how sleeping late, especially past midnight, can throw digestion off track. She pointed out that even one late night can affect your gut health for days.

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A post shared by Lovneet Batra (@lovneetb)

Here is how she broke it down:

1. Disrupted Gut Clock: Your digestive system follows an internal rhythm. When you sleep late, this clock gets confused, leading to slower digestion, bloating, and irregular hunger the next day.

2. Weaker Digestive Enzymes: According to the nutritionist, late nights reduce the body's ability to release enzymes on time. Without them, food is not broken down properly, leaving you with heaviness and discomfort.

3. Microbiome Disruption: Poor sleep shifts the balance of gut bacteria. This can increase inflammation and make digestion less efficient.

4. Melatonin And Gut Repair: Normally, melatonin helps repair and protect the gut lining at night. Staying up too late cuts this process short, which raises the risk of “leaky gut.”

5. Poor Appetite Regulation: As Lovneet Batra explained, lack of proper sleep also affects hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin. This makes you crave more food, overeat, or choose unhealthy snacks that stress digestion even further.

Lovneet Batra's post is a reminder that sleep is not just about rest – it is also about repair. Your gut needs those nighttime hours to reset, heal and prepare for the next day.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.