Best Time To Take Probiotics Before Bed (expert’s experience)

This article is all about the benefits and precautions of taking probiotics at night.

To start with, Yes, taking probiotics before bed is the most suitable time for consuming them. And the best practice is to take them with dinner.

The following sections cover why gut-friendly microbes work best at night and if there are any exceptions. So, keep reading to find out the best time to take probiotics and the underlying benefits.

Benefits of Taking Probiotics Before Bed

You get two major benefits by taking probiotics before bed as listed below:

Better microbial integration

Nighttime probiotic consumption is more beneficial as there is a better chance of probiotic colonization in your gut because, during sleep, the digestive system is put into a resting and repair mode.

Hence, bowel movement also slows down, meaning probiotics you take before bed gets more time to integrate into the intestinal microbiome than when you take them with lunch.

Improved sleep quality

Besides that, probiotics also have a positive influence on sleep quality.

Research proves that probiotic supplementation improves cognitive function, mood, sleep quality, and anger management. These effects are more significant when you take the strains right before bed.

But Not All Probiotics are The Same!

Their efficacy differs with each brand depending upon the consistent strains and pill formation.

So, make sure to skim through the product label to know if your tablets are enteric/ quick-release or non-enteric/ extended-release because this characteristic is a significant factor in determining the best timing for taking probiotics.

If your pills do not have a pH-sensitive coating and dissolve immediately in the gut, stomach acidity would impact the efficacy of probiotics.

Taking these probiotics after dinner is not advisable, as increased acidity after a meal would likely kill or weaken the bacteria in your supplement.

Rather, it’s best to use them on with or 30 minutes before starting your meal. 

Also, it is preferable that you take such probiotics with a meal having some fat content, as fats delay acidic secretions in the stomach to some extent. A downside to morning consumption is that bacterial strains will take a short time to colonize in the gut, and some of them may be wasted away in feces.

On the other side, if you are using delayed-release pills, stomach acidity would have a minor effect on probiotics’ efficacy.

Protective capsules prevent the interaction of bacteria with gastric acids and only release probiotic strains upon reaching the intestines.

Thus, enteric probiotics can be taken anytime, but using them at night, about two hours after you take dinner is suggested because the digestive process is nearly complete, and your gut is relaxed.

Hence, probiotic cultures can easily settle down in gut microbial colonies.

What to Look for in Probiotics Supplements

It can be a tedious task to decide the best probiotic because the efficacy of probiotic pills depends upon the constituent strains, CFUs, temperature requirements, and pill formation.

Therefore, below I have compiled a list of things to consider while choosing a probiotic supplement to make things easier for you:

Look for synbiotics

These are supplements that contain both probiotics and prebiotics. Hence, the product itself contains some food to nourish gut-friendly bacteria, helping them flourish in the digestive tract.

Choose delayed-release products

Entric capsules that do not open up until they reach the alkaline pH of the intestines safeguard probiotic bacteria from stomach acidity. Thus, you get the maximum number of microbes delivered to your gut microbiome.

Opt for a good CFU number

CFUs or colony-forming units are the numbers of microbes present in a pill that can inhabit the gut. It is generally recommended that a healthy person should consume at least 20 billion CFUs daily.

So, check the number of CFUs a probiotic pill delivers before purchasing a product.

Consider temperature-requirements

Some probiotic strains are stable at room temperature, while others need refrigeration to stay alive. Hence, knowing the temperature requirements for a probiotic supplement is essential for its proper storage.

If you travel a lot, it is recommended that you go for a shelf-stable product because you mostly won’t have a refrigerator available.

Prefer Multi-strain blend

Every probiotic product contains different strains, and it’s best to choose the one which has not only high CFUs but also supplies several different bacterial or yeast strains.

Multi-strain probiotics are more beneficial than single-strain products as they are broad-spectrum, addressing different health aspects.

Our Recommended Probiotic Supplements

Still, need some help with the probiotic selection?

Next, I’m giving quick reviews on some of the effective probiotic supplements I have tried and tested. Check their details to find out the most suitable one;

YourBiology Gut+  

With 40 billion CFUs, Gut+ from YourBiology is a multi-strain probiotic blend that also benefits the vaginal microbiome besides improving digestive ability.

MAKterk Bipass technology (an innovative encapsulation technique using seaweed polysaccharides) gives it an edge over other supplements.

A pH-sensitive coat encapsulates the bacterial strains, ensuring safety from stomach acids. So, these pills would provide maximum benefit even if you sleep shortly after dinner.

Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria help digest and absorb food from the intestinal lining, produce beneficial vitamins, and upregulate bowel movements.

According to a Brazilian randomized controlled trial, a probiotic mix of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species reduces fat deposition in the abdominal region and promotes antioxidant activity, leading to waste reduction.

Hence, this supplement is an effective fat burner and prevents future fat build-up.  Besides that, Lactobacillus species, especially Lactobacillus acidophilus, improve vaginal health. It helps in sustaining a low pH in the vagina to prevent infections.

Gut+ comes in a pack of 60 pills per bottle. Besides a low price, it has the financial benefits of free shipping and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

And the thing I like most about YourBiology is; that they provide two free detox and gut-health boosting e-guides for free. 

Biotics 8

Biotic 8 is a symbiotic mixture created with a focus on male health.

This supplement is a gut savor with ten different microbial strains, vitamin D, prebiotic fiber, and digestive enzymes. It includes bacterial (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium sp.) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) strains, providing solid immunity from gut issues.

All these strains are stable at room temperature. Hence, refrigeration is not required. Moreover, it is a delayed-release capsule that delivers all strains safely to the intestinal tract. It also contains enzymes to promote the digestion of all main food components.

The addition of vitamin D makes it a testosterone booster, increasing energy, stamina, and drive.

The best part about this supplement is that it contains the prebiotic ingredient in addition to probiotic strains. This prebiotic fiber nourishes probiotics and gut bacteria, colonizing them faster and enduring enzymatic activities.

Bauer Nutrition offers free shipping on all orders of Biotics 8. It is available in 3 packages with the following prices;

Culturelle Digestive Daily

This probiotic is based on the bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, providing 10 billion colony-forming units.

L. rhamnosus relieves the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and drug-induced diarrhea.

Being a single-strain supplement and a moderate CFU level, it is a beginner-friendly supplement. Thus, the risk of initial side effects of probiotics is likely reduced by starting with such products.

Furthermore, it contains inulin, a highly effective prebiotic fiber for feeding Lactobacillus and other gut bacteria.

These pills are also free from food allergens, including dairy, gluten, and eggs.

Culturelle Digestive Daily ranks among economic probiotic supplements costing as low as $0.48 per capsule. Two-pack sizes are available with standard delivery charges.

Florastor

While most probiotics contain bacterial strains, Florastor is a yeast-based supplement.

It stands on the market for 65 years with a good customer base and reputation.

These capsules contain Saccharomyces boulardii lyo CNCM I-745, which is ten times larger than bacteria. That is why this probiotic work differently from other products.

It helps with diarrhea, bloating, and other gastrointestinal issues, and you are likely to see the positive effects sooner than bacterial probiotics because larger yeast cells produce gut-friendly products in larger quantities.

However, it is less likely to affect vaginal health or weight management than Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species.

It comes in packings of 20, 30, 50, and 60 pills, and the price chart is as follows;

Ritual Synbiotic+

This is a three-in-one formula (containing probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics) from Ritual- a reputed fitness brand.  

Its probiotic microbes, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Bifidobacterium animalis, are effective for relieving gut issues like IBS, diarrhea, and abdominal distress.

Then it has the prebiotic bacteriophage blend, which lets these probiotics grow better.

And the ingredient which makes it unique from most probiotics is the addition of postbiotics.

These bioactive components secreted by friendly bacteria provide various health benefits like an improved immune system and protection from allergens. 

It costs $50 for one month’s supply. Plus, a subscription package is also available with free shipping and a money-back guarantee.

FAQs

Should I take probiotics every day?

Yes, you should take probiotics daily to sustain a healthy gut microbiome. When is the best time to take probiotics on an empty stomach or with meals?

It is best to take probiotics with a meal containing some amount of fats.

When to take probiotics for weight loss?

You should take probiotics at bedtime for better weight management.

Probiotics help in weight loss by increasing the secretion of appetite-suppressing hormones, and some strains also reduce fat absorption in the digestive tract and promote fat excretion through feces.

This is only possible if these bacteria get enough time to inhabit the intestine.

What is the best time to take probiotics for constipation?

It is best to take probiotics before bed to get rid of constipation.

Conclusion

Using probiotics before sleeping leads to better results because microbes can easily settle into the intestinal lining due to lowered gut activity at night. If you are using a quick-release probiotic, you should take it with dinner because fats and proteins in the food tend to lower stomach acidity for a while, allowing the probiotic microbes to pass safely through the stomach.

These gastric acids are detrimental to probiotic strains, making them weak and less effective.