Journal of central nervous system diseaseSep 13, 2026

Gut Bacteria May Influence Morning Preference, Insomnia, and Sleep Length

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Updated Sep 14, 2026

Abstract

A two-sample analysis using whole-genome sequencing data investigates the causal effects of gut microbiota on sleep traits.

Gut microbiota may have a causal influence on sleep characteristics.
Three specific sleep traits examined include morning , , and sleep duration.
is employed to infer these causal relationships.

Simplified

The gut microbiota has been shown to be closely associated with brain function; however, whether it exerts a causal influence on sleep traits remains to be further explored. (MR) is an emerging epidemiological approach that uses whole-genome sequencing data to infer causal relationships. In this study, we conducted a two-sample MR analysis to investigate the causal effects of gut microbiota on three domains of sleep traits: morning , , and sleep duration.

Key numbers

4 taxa identified as risk-increasing factors for

Associations with Risk

Four gut bacterial taxa were linked to increased risk of .

IVW OR = 1.009

Causal Effect on Long Sleep Duration

One gut genus was positively associated with extending sleep duration.

IVW OR = 0.989

Causal Effect on Short Sleep Duration

Four taxa were negatively associated with short sleep duration.

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Gut Bacteria May Influence Morning Preference, Insomnia, and Sleep Length

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