The Effects of Sleep on Human Microbiota: Implications for Health and Disease

The aggregate of microorganisms inhabiting the human body can be regarded as a dynamic reflector of both healthy and disease states, altering in response to changes in the environment. This may precede clinically detectable disease; and thereby, could be used to predict disease onset and additionally monitor response to treatment and predict prognosis. The primary hypothesis of this pilot study is that the human microbial communities are influenced by sleep and altered in humans with abnormal sleep patterns, and they may ultimately relate to disease risk.