Cheese, yogurt, nightmares - link between diet and bad dreams

Cheese and yogurt, a staple of many Romanians' dinner menus, could have an unexpected effect on sleep: causing nightmares. A study conducted by Canadian researchers from MacEwan University in Edmonton, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, shows a possible link between dairy product consumption, lactose intolerance and the occurrence of bad dreams, informs AFP.

• What the research says

Over four months, over 1,000 students were questioned about their eating habits, sleep quality and dream content. Approximately 40% of the participants said they felt an effect of diet on sleep, and of these, almost a quarter noted a negative impact. More interestingly, 5.5% explicitly mentioned the influence of diet on dreams, especially in the form of nightmares. Dairy products and sweets were most often indicated as foods that negatively affect dreams - almost 30% of participants said that they made their dreams "weird” or "disturbing”. In contrast, fruits, vegetables and teas were associated with a more restful sleep.

• Lactose intolerance, a key factor?

The coordinator of the study, Professor Tore Nielsen, a specialist in the neurophysiology of dreams, suggests that people with lactose intolerance may experience subtle digestive symptoms during the night - bloating, cramps or abdominal discomfort - that interfere with the content of dreams. In some cases, these disorders can be perceived subconsciously and can manifest themselves in dreams in the form of anxiety-provoking elements. "It is possible that these bodily signals are not fully conscious during waking life, but are translated by the brain into intense or unpleasant dreams. For example, a dream about fires may reflect fever or internal agitation before these become visible symptoms,” explains Nielsen.

• Relevance of the study

The connection between sleep and food is hotly debated but rarely rigorously researched. This study is one of the few to explore the relationship between certain foods - particularly dairy - and dream content. While it doesn't provide a definitive answer, the research paves the way for future investigations. An "ideal experiment,” according to the authors, would involve monitoring two groups - one with lactose intolerance and one without - who are given regular or lactose-free dairy products before bed, and then analyzing their dreams and sleep quality.

• What can we do in practice?

For those who frequently experience unpleasant dreams, cutting out dairy products at night or switching to lactose-free products could be a useful personal experiment. Keeping a sleep and food diary could also help identify subtle patterns between what we eat and how we sleep. Until further scientific conclusions are made, one thing remains certain: a balanced diet, based on easily digestible and healthy foods, has every chance of contributing to a more restful sleep - and somewhat more peaceful dreams.