Your Lack of Sleep May Indicate a Digestive Problem

An irregularity in sleep patterns may be a preliminary sign of another abnormality in your life. While it could be a litany of possible ailments, one cause could be an issue with your digestive system. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and irritable bowel disease (IBD) are two digestive issues known to cause fits of sleeplessness, but, sadly, the list doesn't end there.

The more you stress, the worse it gets

"Most patients who end up having irritable bowel syndrome are pretty deeply affected by it because it's not something that just affects you when you go to sleep," said Snow Trinh Nguyen, a gastroenterologist based in New York City. "You could feel it throughout the day."

Nguyen noted that IBS occurs 1.5 times more often in women than in men.

"With irritable bowel syndrome, if you have diarrhea, and so many bowel movements a day, imagine how disruptive that would be," said Yaniuska Lescaille, director of inflammatory bowel disease at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. "Inflammatory bowel disease patients also get very anemic and weak from losing blood. They lose their nutrients. It's a very debilitating disease. They may wake up in the middle of the night with abdominal pain and go to the bathroom."

'The more stress you get about your symptoms, the worse your irritable bowel syndrome will get because there is a connection with stress and anxiety.'

Nguyen advises her patients to eat a well-rounded diet, exercise, meditate and get adequate sleep.

"I usually tell all my IBS patients, the best thing for them to actually do is to stop worrying about it so much because it's a feedback mechanism," Nguyen said. "Some patients, if they stress out about it too much, it actually adds to the discomfort."

Lescaille seconded Nguyen's concerns.

"It's a vicious cycle," she said. "The more stress you get about your symptoms, the worse your irritable bowel syndrome will get because there is a connection with stress and anxiety."

Don't overlook your symptoms

If you're experiencing digestive problems, such as diarrhea or pain, talk to your doctor to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of IBS, IBD or celiac disease. Under advice from your doctor, you may want to add more fiber to your diet or implement the FODMAP diet.

If that doesn't help, neuromodulators, such as tricyclic antidepressants, can be an alternative option.

"Don't let the name fool you," Nguyen explained. "Tricyclic antidepressants are also used to control severe osteoarthritis of the knees and severe back pain. It's actually modifying how your body perceives and senses pain. You're actually changing the neural pathway."

As for when to start seeking such treatment, Lescaille encourages people to not overlook symptoms such as rectal bleeding, abdominal pain or any other abnormalities in bowel movements.

"Every patient has his or her specific pattern," Lescaille said. "You don't need to go to the bathroom every day. As long as you go to the bathroom and you don't have to strain, you don't have to take anything to go to the bathroom, [then] you don't have to go to the bathroom every day. But you shouldn't have any abdominal pain."

"Patients should never be afraid to come to us," she added. "Always come."

"If you're young and healthy, and you exercise, see your doctor once a year or once every two years," Nguyen said, making an important exception: "Even if it's one episode of rectal bleeding or weird vomiting, tell [your doctors] everything, so they can decide what needs to happen. Don't rely on the internet. Don't doctor-Google."

Sleep plays an important role in your life, and when it gets disrupted, your daily routine may get thrown off as well.

High-frequency bowel movements may or may not be concerning for some people, but it is important to pay attention to these patterns. If your pattern is disrupted and any irregular activity occurs in your body, consult a doctor immediately.