Gut bacteria transplant pills show early sleep gains in insomnia study

In a small Chinese trial, adults with chronic insomnia received antibiotics to clear gut bacteria and then 60 fecal microbiota transplantation capsules from healthy donors, followed by a booster 2 weeks later. The treated group showed a jump in sleep efficiency from about 79% to 93% at one month and fewer awakenings, while the placebo group changed little. Researchers consider the findings encouraging but note the study’s small size and the combination of antibiotics with FMT, so more research is needed before this approach could be considered routine treatment.