Work

Association between dietary index for gut microbiota and sleep duration in US adults: a cross-sectional study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background The microbiota-gut-brain axis underlies the pathogenesis of sleep disorders. The dietary index for gut microbiota (DI-GM) is an innovative diet quality metric related to gut microbiota diversity, with higher scores indicating a healthier gut microbiome. This study aimed to investigate its association with sleep duration. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2005 to 2018, involving 25,439 participants aged ≥20 years. The DI-GM score was calculated utilizing dietary recall data, encompassing both beneficial (BGMS) and unfavorable (UGMS) to gut microbiota score. Sleep duration was assessed via the question: “How much sleep do you usually get at night on weekdays or workdays?” and categorized as short (<7 hours per night), optimal (7–8 hours per night), and long (>8 hours per night). Multivariable weighted linear and logistic regression models were performed to determine the association between DI-GM and sleep duration. Secondary analyses included restricted cubic splines (RCS) and subgroup analyses. Results In the fully adjusted model, a higher DI-GM score was associated with longer sleep duration (β =0.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01–0.04, P <0.001), as was a higher BGMS (β =0.04, 95% CI: 0.02–0.06, P <0.001). Using optimal sleep as the reference category, both higher DI-GM score and BGMS were significantly associated with lower odds of short sleep (DI-GM: odds ratio [OR] =0.96, 95% CI: 0.93–0.99, P =0.010; BGMS: OR =0.93, 95% CI: 0.89–0.96, P <0.001). RCS revealed nonlinear associations between DI-GM and both outcomes, while BGMS exhibited linear patterns. Subgroup analyses confirmed consistent associations across demographic, lifestyle, and health strata, with significant effect modification by race/ethnicity (P =0.015 for sleep duration; 0.016 for short sleep) and physical activity (P =0.033 and 0.007, respectively). Conclusions Higher DI-GM scores were associated with longer sleep duration, underscoring the potential of gut microbiota-targeted diets for sleep health.

Source: Current Research in Microbial Sciences

DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2025.100412

Authors: Jingjing Liu, Shaoqiang Huang

Institutions: Fudan University, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University

Language: English

Topic: Gut microbiota and health

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,680