Fecal transplant capsules boost sleep quality in Chinese insomnia trial

Researchers in China enrolled 80 adults with long-standing insomnia and split them into treatment and placebo arms. The treatment group first took two days of antibiotics to clear existing gut bacteria, then ingested 60 fecal microbiota transplant capsules sourced from donors identified as good sleepers, with a booster of 20 capsules two weeks later. Polysomnography showed their sleep efficiency increased from 79% before the transplant to 93% after one month, and the time spent awake after falling asleep dropped from 79 minutes to 17 minutes.

The placebo group’s efficiency moved only from about 85% to 87%, and their wake time rose slightly. Participants continued to report better sleep for up to six months. While the findings support a link between gut microbes and sleep regulation, the small cohort and the confounding effect of antibiotics mean further research is required.