Here comes the cheese —fresh from the fridge or hot from the oven and ready to haunt your dreams… or your appetite. Do you love cheese and dairy, but it doesn’t have the same feelings for you, or at least in your stomach? Well, you are not alone; the lactose-intolerant monster affects many people.
Recent research has revealed a link between lactose intolerance and nightmares, hinting that stomach turmoil from dairy can invade your dreams. But not to worry, it also suggests that simple dietary changes, such as avoiding that late-night cheese-filled snack, could turn restless sleep into sweet dreams. Avoid delicious cheese snacks, oh no, say it isn’t so!
If you think that eating certain foods, like cheese, can make you sleep badly, it turns out that you are on to something, because there may be a physical cause for your bad dreams. This study investigated the links between diet, sleep problems, and cultural beliefs about diet/sleep.
The report published in Frontiers in Psychology suggests that healthier evening eating habits lead to better sleep and better recall of dreams, while consumption of dairy was associated with nightmares, which is believed to be due to lactose intolerance causing overnight digestive upset that then affects dreams.
“Nightmare severity is robustly associated with lactose intolerance and other food allergies,” said Dr. Tore Nielsen of Université de Montréal, lead author of the report. “These new findings imply that changing eating habits for people with some food sensitivities could alleviate nightmares. They could also explain why people so often blame dairy for bad dreams!”
Sweet Dreams Are (Not) Made of These?
Many people have long thought that what you eat can affect how you sleep, but there is very little evidence to prove or disprove this belief. This study surveyed 1,082 students at MacEwan University about their sleep time, sleep quality, dreams, nightmares, mental and physical health, their relationship with food, and perceived associations between different kinds of dreams and foods.
The analysis revealed that around a third of the respondents reported having regular nightmares. Women were found to be more likely to remember their dreams or nightmares, and women were also closer to twice as likely to report having a food intolerance or allergy.
Around 40% of the respondents believed that eating late at night or eating specific foods affected their sleep, and 25% believed that particular foods could even make their sleep worse. Additionally, those who ate less healthy options were found to be more likely to experience negative dreams and be less likely to remember their dreams.
“We are routinely asked whether food affects dreaming — especially by journalists on food-centric holidays,” said Nielsen. “Now we have some answers.”
Lactose-Intolerant Cheese Monster Culprits
The majority of respondents who blamed their bad sleep on food thought that dairy, like cheese loaded pizza, sweets, and spicy foods were responsible for their sleep troubles. Only 5.5% felt that what they ate affected the tone of their dreams, but many of these people still thought that dairy or sweets made their dreams more bizarre or disturbing.
Further investigation comparing reports of food intolerances to reports of poor sleep and bad dreams revealed that reported lactose intolerance was associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, low sleep quality, and nightmares. In simple terms, for some, eating dairy activates gastrointestinal upset, causing the discomfort that affects the quality of rest and dreams.
“Nightmares are worse for lactose-intolerant people who suffer severe gastrointestinal symptoms and whose sleep is disrupted,” said Nielsen. “This makes sense, because we know that other bodily sensations can affect dreaming. Nightmares can be very disruptive, especially if they occur often, because they tend to awaken people from sleep in a dysphoric state. They might also produce sleep avoidance behaviors. Both symptoms can rob you of restful sleep.”
Additional Research Required
Despite the robust link between nightmares and lactose intolerance, it is not clear how the relationship works. Further research is needed to confirm the links and identify the underlying mechanisms. Even still, the compelling findings suggest that improved awareness of food sensitivities to make simple dietary interventions could potentially help people to improve their sleep and overall health.
“We need to study more people of different ages, from different walks of life, and with different dietary habits to determine if our results are truly generalizable to the larger population,” said Nielsen. “Experimental studies are also needed to determine if people can truly detect the effects of specific foods on dreams. We would like to run a study in which we ask people to ingest cheese products versus some control food before sleep to see if this alters their sleep or dreams.”
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
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