A new study by researchers at Université de Montréal and MacEwan University finds a strong link between dairy consumption and nightmares, particularly in lactose-intolerant individuals. This could revolutionize how we approach dietary habits to improve sleep quality.
Ever been told that eating cheese before bed would give you nightmares? New research might vindicate that old wives’ tale. A new study from University of Montreal has found a significant association between dairy consumption and the occurrence of nightmares, especially among individuals who are lactose intolerant.
The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, surveyed over 1,000 students at MacEwan University to explore the relationship between eating habits and sleep quality.
The participants answered questions about their sleep patterns, dream experiences and any perceived links to food.
“Nightmare severity is robustly associated with lactose intolerance and other food allergies,” lead author Tore Nielsen, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Montreal, said in a news release. “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!”
Linking Diet to Dreams
Historically, folk tales have suggested a connection between diet and sleep, but scientific evidence has been scant.
This study provides empirical backing to the notion that what we eat affects how we sleep. Among the participants, about a third reported experiencing regular nightmares, with women more likely than men to remember their dreams and report poor sleep.
Approximately 40% of respondents indicated that they believed late-night eating or specific foods impacted their sleep, while around 25% thought certain foods could worsen their sleep quality. Those with poor dietary habits were more prone to negative dreams and less likely to remember their dreams.
Cheesy Culprits and Gastric Disturbances
Most students who attributed their poor sleep to food pointed fingers at sweets, spicy foods or dairy products. A relatively small percentage — 5.5% — directly linked their diet to the nature of their dreams, often citing dairy or sweets as making their dreams more disturbing or bizarre.
The study’s findings highlighted that lactose intolerance was frequently associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, nightmares and poor sleep quality. The researchers suggested that consuming dairy could trigger digestive issues, which then disturb sleep and provoke nightmares.
“Nightmares are worse for lactose intolerant people who suffer severe gastrointestinal symptoms and whose sleep is disrupted,” added 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.”
Potential for Better Sleep Through Diet
The study echoes findings from research conducted 11 years earlier by Nielsen and Russell Powell of MacEwan University, though fewer participants reported a connection between food and dreams this time. This might reflect greater awareness of food intolerances, leading to better dietary choices.
However, the exact mechanism linking diet and sleep remains unclear. It’s possible that poor diet leads to poor sleep, or vice versa, or that another factor is influencing both. Further research is needed to unravel these relationships.
“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,” concluded 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.”
Source: Frontiers