Sara Marín, microbiota expert: “If you get up at 8 every day and at midday on the weekend, it takes 3 days to recover the circadian rhythm”
Small everyday habits may be having a bigger impact on your sleep than you realize, according to one microbiota specialist.
Rest – especially getting enough high-quality sleep – is essential for both physical and mental recovery. Sleep helps consolidate memories, regulate emotions, repair muscle tissue and clear toxins from the body, among many other vital functions.
Because of this, many people search online for advice, tips and tools that promise a better night’s sleep. Speaking on the Tus amigas las hormonas podcast, microbiota expert Sara Martín shared a couple of simple habits she believes can improve sleep quality during a conversation with host Isabel Viña.
Why eating dinner earlier may help
Asked for easy, practical advice on improving sleep, Martín pointed first to the time people eat their evening meal.
“One thing that really affects me is eating dinner late. Insulin and melatonin are enemies. If one is present, the other isn’t. So if insulin is active, melatonin takes a back seat."
@isabelvinabas Así aprenderás a dormir mejor 🥰 Te notas cansado sin motivo claro? ¿Estrés que se te va al cuerpo, digestiones pesadas o sueño que no descansa? En este episodio de Tus amigas las hormonas, converso con Sara Marín (@uncafecontudoctora) doctora y experta en microbiota y salud femenina, sobre cómo el cortisol, el estrés crónico y el estado del intestino pueden influir en la energía, el ánimo, la digestión y el descanso. Hablamos de cuándo el cansancio puede entrar dentro de lo habitual y cuándo conviene hacerse mirar, de señales de alerta que no deberían ignorarse, y de por qué normalizar síntomas digestivos como hinchazón o reflujo puede retrasar un diagnóstico y cuándo conviene dejar de normalizarlos o pensar en alteraciones como el SIBO. También entramos en la ansiedad corporal y la somatización: cuando “no te pasa nada en la cabeza”, pero el cuerpo está hablando. En la parte final, abordamos el uso (y abuso) de fármacos para dormir, qué hábitos modernos están destrozando el sueño, y una mirada clara a la salud femenina: qué cosas del ciclo menstrual no deberían normalizarse y cómo la microbiota y las hormonas se relacionan más de lo que parece. Un episodio divulgativo, práctico y muy aterrizado para entender tu salud con más criterio. Podéis ver el episodio completo en YouTube, Spotify, y cualquier plataforma de audio gratuita buscando “tus amigas las hormonas”
♬ sonido original - Isabel Vina
She explained that while the body is digesting food, it is not in the ideal state to fall asleep.
"Your body switches itself on and off depending on what you do – or don’t do. Ideally, you should eat dinner around 8 p.m., with 9 p.m. at the latest."
Sleeping in doesn’t make up for a bad week
Martín also warned against dramatically changing your sleep schedule on weekends.
According to the microbiota specialist, if you normally wake up at 8 a.m. every day but sleep until 1 p.m. on the weekend, it can take your body three days to restore the circadian rhythm you’ve disrupted.
When Viña reacted with surprise, Martín said many people wrongly believe they can recover a week’s worth of lost sleep simply by staying in bed longer.
"Just because you sleep four extra hours one day doesn’t mean you’ll recover the sleep you missed during the week."
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