The luxury of light (leaving work when it isn’t already pitch black? Luxury) can be deceptive when it comes to the summer months. Before you know it, that early evening catch-up has turned into catching the last train home and your usual eight hours’ shut-eye is all but a pipe dream.

Obviously, shuffling your sleep cycle is part of having a social life and enjoying the summer, but having a baseline routine will help to support your gut through the season and beyond.

“Evidence taken from shift worker populations and those experiencing chronic jet lag has shown that sleep loss can also affect the composition of the microbiota,” says Prpa.

“I think sleep is one of the most underrated resources for gut health. Our body’s internal clock, known as circadian rhythm, is constantly running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes throughout 24-hour cycles.

“Sleep cycles are also known as the sleep-wake cycle and refer to the 24-hour day-night cycle where periods of biological activity alternate with periods of rest. These day and night cycles are the most important cues for our central body clock.

“They are also important for our gut clock – our gut bacteria have their own daily rhythm when it comes to functions, composition and location in the intestines. So, just like all other processes in the body, our gut loves routine.

“Simply put, when we eat, move and sleep at similar times of day and exercise at regular intervals our gut bacteria tends to be happier.”

5 simple ways to support your gut health this summer