November 29, 2023
We all know how terrible we feel after a poor night’s sleep. Focus and concentration may be off. Cravings might be heightened. You may even have a headache and lack the motivation to get anything done.
Lack of sleep can trigger an array of health issues. Not only with your mood and mind, but lack of sleep can hinder muscle recovery/function, digestion and bowel movements. We heal while we sleep. Our body needs to recuperate and get the rest it needs from working all day. Without adequate sleep, during the right times, we can expect challenges to arise. Which won’t look the same for everyone.
Ideally, you should be going number two within 30 minutes of waking up. If not, this can show a challenge with your digestive tract. Your colon has its own internal clock that stimulates it to release a surge of hormones such as cortisol first thing in the morning. This in turn propels all the stool left over from the previous day forward into your rectum, stimulating a bowel movement.
Sleep deprivation is associated with an increase in pro-inflammatory molecules in the gut. This slows down our gastric emptying (the process by which the stomach contents are moved into the small intestine). Having food sit in your stomach for too long can cause it to ferment, which leads to gas, bloating, and an overgrowth of bad gut microbes. This, along with inflammation in the gut can hinder and stall bowel movements.
By improving your sleep and sticking to the same sleep/wake times each day, you can help to regulate and improve your bowel movements.
