The Terrifying Way Not Sleeping Enough Actually Changes Your Gut

Studies link insufficient sleep to some pretty scary consequences, including an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and even some cancers. Experts still don’t fully understand why not getting enough sleep is connected to all of these conditions, but new research published this month adds one piece to the puzzle: Not getting enough sleep may cause changes to gut bacteria that could fundamentally change our metabolism, affecting a host of bodily systems.