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A Hiroshima University–led clinical trial found that hydrogen supplementation did not significantly improve sleep quality compared with a placebo; however, exploratory analyses suggest that differences in the abundance of hydrogen-producing gut bacteria may be associated with individual differences in sleep-related responses.

Hydrogen has been discovered to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic (programmed cell death) biological activities, all of which have been confirmed in animal and clinical studies in the last 20 years. Experiments have demonstrated that hydrogen supplementation improves memory consolidation during sleep in mice and sleep quality in humans with long COVID or obesity.

The antioxidant properties of hydrogen are responsible, as sleep disturbances are linked to oxidative stress—cell damage caused by the buildup of peroxides and free radicals from biological processes.

"Molecular hydrogen has attracted attention for its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its effects on sleep quality have not been sufficiently evaluated in randomized clinical trials," says Fumiko Higashikawa, associate professor (special designation) at Hiroshima University Hospital and first and corresponding author of the study.

"In addition, humans naturally produce hydrogen through gut microbial fermentation, yet the capacity for hydrogen production varies greatly among individuals. This variation has rarely been considered in studies of exogenous hydrogen.

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