AUTHOR=Wu Changmei , Dou Jinjin , Song Xiaoxue , Yang Fang , Liu Xuan , Song Weipeng , Zhang Xiwu 

TITLE=Gut microbiota: a new target for the prevention and treatment of insomnia using Chinese herbal medicines and their active components

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1572007

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2025.1572007

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=The emergence of the microbiota-gut-brain axis has opened new avenues for improving sleep quality. Recent studies have revealed a close relationship between insomnia and the gut microbiome. Chinese herbal medicines and their active components can alter the relative abundance of sleep-related gut microbiota by reversing dysbiosis in the gut microbiome. Improving sleep quality through the regulation of the gut microbiota using herbal medicine and its active components has become a highly promising therapeutic strategy. This article elucidates how the gut microbiota modulates sleep quality via the intricate communication network of the gut-brain axis. It also reviews the latest research on utilizing herbal medicine and its active components to regulate the gut microbiota for enhancing sleep quality. Additionally, it provides insights into the potential of herbal medicine and its active components in improving sleep quality through the modulation of the gut microbiota.