Dairy Products and Your Dreams
Dairy might be impacting your dreams more than you think.
A recent study released in the journal Frontiers in Psychology examined how sleep habits, particularly dreaming, connect to eating patterns. One notable takeaway? Those experiencing significant lactose intolerance symptoms reported having more vivid nightmares.
This research might help clarify previous inquiries about how food affects dreaming, as highlighted in a 2015 study focusing on “food-dependent dreaming.” In simpler terms, it looked at how our meals affect the quality of our sleep.
“In that initial study, participants often blamed cheese for their troubling dreams,” shared Tore Nielsen, a psychiatry professor at the University of Montreal and co-author of both studies. “I think we found more concrete answers this time around.”
With just over 1,000 participants, the survey found individuals suffering severe gastrointestinal issues from lactose intolerance experienced heightened nightmares. These were assessed through various measures, like how often those nightmares occurred, the distress they caused, and their impact on daily life. Interestingly, many participants pointed the finger at dairy or sugary foods for their night terrors.
The survey was part of an introductory psychology class, so the findings might not reflect the general population accurately.
Nevertheless, experts, including Nielsen, suggest there are reasonable explanations for why a late-night cheesy snack might lead to unsettling dreams. It’s possible that anxiety linked to lactose intolerance could be making nightmares worse.
Marie-Pierre St-Onge, who leads the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, noted that gastrointestinal disturbances could be contributing to sleep disruptions, thus affecting dreams.
If your GI issues are acting up, that could be influencing your sleep quality and the nature of your dreams, St-Onge explained.
Patrick McNamara, an associate professor at Boston University, mentioned that consuming foods that trigger lactose intolerance may lead to “micro-arousals” during sleep, which can amplify nightmares.
However, both McNamara and the research authors noted that other factors apart from gastrointestinal issues could also come into play.
Nielsen expressed a desire for further investigation into the relationship between dairy consumption and dreams. Russell Powell, co-author of the study and a psychology professor emeritus at MacEwan University in Alberta, indicated plans to recreate the findings in other demographic groups.
In any case, it’s a good idea for individuals to reflect on their own diets and consider making some adjustments—measures that don’t necessarily require professional oversight, Nielsen added.
