Irregular sleep patterns linked to harmful gut bacteria, study suggests

According to the findings, even a 90-minute difference in the midpoint of sleep – half-way between sleep time and wake-up time – can encourage microbiome that has negative associations with health

Irregular sleep patterns linked to harmful gut bacteria, study suggests (David Davies/PA)

Irregular sleep patterns may be linked to harmful bacteria in your gut, new research suggests.

The study is the first to find multiple associations between social jet lag – the shift in internal body clock when sleeping patterns change between workdays and free days – and diet quality, diet habits, inflammation and gut microbiome (bacteria) composition.