Cheese does give you nightmares, research confirms

Is that story about cheese causing bad dreams? Scientists have found that this may actually be correct – at least for those who cannot digest dairy properly.

A new study of more than 1,000 college students reveals the close link between lactose intolerance and nightmares, which could address hundreds of years of folk wisdom through hard data.

Researchers at the University of Montreal and Meswan University found that people with lactose intolerance experience far more nightmares than those who can digest dairy without problems. The culprit seems to be gastrointestinal discomfort, which can disrupt sleep and affect dream content.

Ancient beliefs conform to modern science

“The severity of nightmares is closely related to lactose intolerance and other food allergies,” explained the study’s lead author Dr. Tore Nielsen of the University of Montreal. “These new findings suggest that changing dietary habits of diet-sensitive people can alleviate nightmares. They can also explain why people often blame dairy products for so often!”

The study, published in the field of psychology, investigated the quality of sleep, eating habits, and any links they noticed between food and dreams in 1,082 students. Although folk beliefs have long shown that your diet can affect how you sleep, this study provides some scientific evidence supporting these claims.

Women report more food-related sleep problems

These findings reveal several interesting patterns. About one-third of participants reported routine nightmares, and women were almost twice as likely to report food intolerance or allergies than men. Women are also more likely to remember their dreams and report poor sleep quality overall.

The main findings of the study include:

• 40% of students believe that eating late at night or specific food can affect their sleep
• 25% think that specific foods make their sleep worse
• Only 5.5% of the food affects the tone of their dreams
• Among those who noticed the effects of dreams, 31% of the responsibility for candy and 22% of dairy products are blamed on dairy products

“We often ask whether food affects dreams, especially journalists on food-centric holidays,” Nelson noted. “Now we have some answers.”

The connection of stomach dreams

The most striking finding is centered on lactose intolerance. Students who cannot digest dairy products correctly have a clear link between condition, gastrointestinal symptoms, nightmares, and poor sleep quality. This suggests that physical discomforts in eating dairy produce domino effects – stinging can cause sleep interruptions, which in turn affects the amount in your dreams.

“Nightmare is worse for people with lactose intolerance with severe gastrointestinal symptoms and sleep disruption,” Nelson explained. “It makes sense because we know that sensations from other bodies affect dreams.”

The mechanism seems simple: When lactose intelligent individuals consume dairy products, their bodies have difficulty breaking down milk candy, causing gas, bloating and stomach pain. These uncomfortable sensations can continue to sleep and may trigger more vivid or disturbing dreams.

Wide impact on sleep health

In addition to dairy links, researchers have found that people with healthier eating habits often experience better dream memories and fewer negative dreams. Those with less nutrition are more likely to have disturbing dreams and are less likely to remember them at all.

The study also showed an interesting trend: students in this study reduced food dream links compared to similar studies conducted eleven years ago. Researchers speculate that increasing awareness of food intolerance may mean people are better able to avoid foods that have problems before bed.

While the nocturnal connection of lactose intolerance seems to be strong, Nelson admits how diet affects sleep and dreams, it is well known. This relationship may work in multiple directions – poor sleep can lead to insufficient eating habits, or other factors may affect both.

“We need to study more people from different ages, different lives, and different eating habits to determine if our results can indeed be generalized,” Nelson said. The research team is now planning controlled experiments, including studies in which participants consume cheese before sleep rather than control food, to directly test the impact on dreams.

For now, the advice seems simple: If you’re not lactose resistant and you’re experiencing nightmares, late-night pizza or bedtime ice cream may be worth reconsidering.

Related