We were often told that eating cheese before bed gives you bad dreams, an ‘old wives’ tale’ that originated from folklore. Whilst this belief was considered an ‘old wives’ tale’, scientists have discovered that it could, in fact, be true.
According to the study’s author, Dr Tore Nielsen, from the University of Montreal, Canada, people who are lactose intolerant can suffer “bizarre or disturbing” dreams if they consume dairy products in the evening, probably caused by “gastrointestinal disturbance”.
Though the main finding of the study was that “nightmares are robustly associated with lactose intolerance”, researchers also found that those with gluten intolerance, other food allergies, or none at all could be affected.
So the takeaway from this? The old wives’ tale may be correct after all.
The survey of 1,082 people asked how often they experienced bad dreams and poor sleep, and whether they felt they were more common after consuming particular foods or eating at particular times.
Studies found that those with lactose intolerance reported overall worse quality sleep and significantly more bad dreams, which “makes sense” since stomach issues cause or contribute to bad sleep.
About 33% said they experienced nightmares, while 40% said they felt that eating too late at night or eating particular foods affected their sleep.
Stomach pain, gas, or indigestion can wake you up during the night, potentially interrupting REM sleep (a phase where vivid dreams occur). Waking up during a dream can make it more likely that you’ll remember the dream, and if it was unpleasant, you might perceive it as a nightmare, explained Tore Nielsen, a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Montreal and the director of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at the Montreal Sacred Heart Hospital.
“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 behaviours. Both symptoms can rob you of restful sleep.
“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.”