Gut microbiota: A new target of traditional Chinese medicine for insomnia

All species have a physiological need for sleep, and sleep is crucial for the preservation and restoration of many physiological processes in the body. Recent research on the effects of gut microbiota on brain function has produced essential data on the relationship between them. It has been discovered that dysregulation of the gut-brain axis is related to insomnia. Certain metabolites of gut microbiota have been linked to insomnia, and disturbances in gut microbiota can worsen insomnia. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has unique advantages for the treatment of insomnia. Taking the gut microbiota as the target and determining the scientific relevance of TCM to the prevention and treatment of insomnia may lead to new concepts for the treatment of sleep disorders and improve the therapeutic effect of sleep. Taking the gut microbiota as an entry point, this paper reviews the relationship between gut microbiota and TCM, the relationship between gut microbiota and insomnia, the mechanism by which gut microbiota regulate sleep, and the mechanism by which TCM regulates gut microbiota for insomnia prevention and treatment. This review provides new ideas for the prevention and treatment of insomnia through TCM and new ideas for drug development. [Display omitted] •Traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantages in the treatment of insomnia.•The imbalance of gut microbiota is closely related to insomnia.•Traditional Chinese medicine can treat insomnia by regulating gut microbiota.