Randy Chandler
It is a commonly held belief that eating cheese before bed causes nightmares or vivid dreams. However, there is little scientific evidence to support this claim. In 2005, the British Cheese Board conducted a study that found no nightmares among participants who ate cheese before bed, although 75% reported sleeping well. While eating cheese before bed may not cause nightmares, it could lead to indigestion and disrupt sleep due to its high fat and lactose content. Some research suggests that eating late at night can impact sleep quality, and the type of cheese consumed may also play a role in the dreams people experience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does cheese cause bad dreams? | No clear evidence, but it may cause vivid dreams |
| Does cheese cause nightmares? | No |
| Does cheese disrupt sleep? | Yes, due to indigestion and glucose spikes |
| Does cheese influence dreams? | Yes, different types of cheese may cause different dreams |
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What You'll Learn
Different cheeses, different dreams
While there is no solid evidence that cheese causes nightmares, it is believed that eating cheese before bed can induce vivid dreams. In 2005, the British Cheese Board conducted a study to test the effect of eating cheese before bed. The study found that 75% of participants slept well and did not experience any nightmares. However, most participants did have dreams, which they could remember clearly.
Different cheeses are said to induce different types of dreams. For instance, eating blue cheese, such as Blue Stilton, may lead to vivid dreams. Volunteers in the study reported dreams of a vegetarian crocodile that was upset because it couldn't eat children, and another reported dreaming of soldiers fighting with kittens instead of guns. These dreams could be interpreted as bad dreams. However, none of the study volunteers reported nightmares.
On the other hand, consuming Red Leicester cheese may lead to nostalgic dreams about childhood or family. Similarly, eating Lancashire cheese seemed to induce dreams about work, with one participant dreaming of becoming the prime minister. Interestingly, some people believe that cheddar cheese can result in dreams about celebrities, while others claim it can cause dreams about the future.
While the exact link between cheese and dreams remains unclear, some researchers suggest that eating late at night can disrupt sleep. Cheese is rich in fat, which takes longer to digest, potentially interfering with sleep. Additionally, eating a large meal before bed can lead to indigestion and abdominal discomfort, further impacting sleep quality.
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Lack of evidence
There is a common belief that eating cheese before bed causes nightmares or vivid dreams. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support this claim. While some studies and sources suggest a correlation between cheese consumption and unusual dreams, they do not provide conclusive proof of a causal relationship.
A 2005 study by the British Cheese Board found that different types of cheese gave participants distinct types of dreams. For example, those who ate Blue Stilton reported vivid dreams, while Red Leicester led to nostalgic dreams about childhood or family. However, none of the dreams were characterised as nightmares, and 75% of participants reported sleeping well. This study, however, may be subject to bias due to the organisation conducting it.
Another review of evidence suggests that the frequency of nightmares is linked to sleep disturbances. Eating close to bedtime, especially heavy or fatty foods like cheese, can cause indigestion and disrupt sleep, potentially leading to more frequent waking and clearer dream recall. This disruption in sleep patterns, rather than the cheese itself, could be a contributing factor to the perception of vivid or unusual dreams.
While cheese contains tryptophan, an amino acid that can aid in serotonin production and positively impact sleep, the overall research on the direct link between cheese consumption and nightmares is limited and flawed. There is no solid evidence to suggest that eating cheese before bed will cause nightmares or significantly influence the content of dreams.
It is worth noting that individual factors, such as lactose intolerance, can impact the ability to digest cheese before sleep, potentially leading to gastrointestinal issues that may affect sleep quality and dream recall. However, in the absence of such factors, there is little evidence to support the claim that cheese directly causes nightmares or bad dreams.
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Indigestion and disrupted sleep
While there is no evidence that cheese causes nightmares, eating cheese before bed may cause indigestion and disrupt sleep. Cheese is rich in fat, which is the slowest macronutrient to digest. As a result, while your mind may be ready to sleep, your body may still be working hard to digest the cheese, potentially disrupting your sleep. This is supported by a study that found that people who are more prone to remembering their dreams wake up more during the night and take longer to fall back asleep.
In addition, eating a large meal before bed can result in a longer period of REM sleep, during which your most vivid dreams occur. This, coupled with indigestion causing you to wake up more frequently, may lead to you remembering your dreams more clearly.
Furthermore, eating late at night may affect sleep patterns due to higher blood sugar and the discomfort of a full stomach. However, eating the right foods closer to bedtime may improve sleep quality. Tryptophan-rich foods such as meat, fish, and tofu can promote better sleep.
Cheese contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body produce serotonin, the hormone that makes you feel happy and significantly impacts sleep. A small 2012 study found that elderly participants who consumed tryptophan-enriched cereal experienced improved sleep, antioxidant capacity, and mood.
Therefore, while cheese may not cause nightmares, its high-fat content and the timing of consumption may cause indigestion and disrupt sleep.
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Tryptophan and serotonin
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid in all animals, including humans. It is a component for protein synthesis and is required for growing and helping the body produce and maintain proteins, muscles, enzymes, and neurotransmitters.
Tryptophan is also the obligatory substrate for the production of several important bioactive substances, including serotonin. Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a hormone that makes us feel happy and significantly impacts sleep. It is produced in the periphery within the gut neurons and enterochromaffin cells and centrally within the neurons of the raphe in the brain stem.
Tryptophan must first gain access to the central nervous system (CNS) via the blood-brain barrier to produce serotonin. Tryptophan is a substrate for the large neutral amino-acid transporter system and competes with several other amino acids for transport. This competition is the basis for some acute tryptophan depletion diets. Most tryptophan is bound to plasma albumin and is therefore unavailable for transport into the brain. However, releasing tryptophan from this pool could increase transport.
Once in the CNS, tryptophan is hydroxylated to 5-hydroxytryptophan by the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase type 2, followed by subsequent decarboxylation involving the enzyme l-aromatic acid decarboxylase to serotonin. Serotonin is then taken up into vesicles by the vesicular monoamine transporter isoform 2 of the raphe neurons.
Low levels of serotonin are linked to depression. Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. It is also possible to increase serotonin levels naturally by working out or getting exposure to sunlight or bright light.
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REM sleep and indigestion
Sleep is an essential activity for maintaining normal physiological function in humans. It consists of two stages: non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). Sleep disturbances, such as those caused by eating cheese before bed, can have various effects on the body. While there is no clear evidence that cheese causes nightmares, some studies suggest that eating certain types of cheese before bed can alter dream content and make dreams more vivid and memorable.
The British Cheese Board conducted a study in 2005 that examined the relationship between cheese consumption and dreams. Participants were given different types of cheese, such as Blue Stilton, Red Leicester, and Lancashire, before bedtime and asked to report their sleep patterns and dreams. The study found that while most participants had vivid dreams, none reported nightmares. However, it's important to note that the British Cheese Board may have a vested interest in promoting cheese consumption.
Cheese is rich in fat, which takes longer to digest, and eating late at night may disrupt sleep. This disruption can be exacerbated by lying down, as gravity no longer helps keep stomach acid down, making it easier for acid reflux to occur. Additionally, saliva production, which helps neutralize stomach acid, is reduced during deeper stages of sleep. This combination of effects can lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, disturbing sleep and potentially causing complications such as inflammation and ulcers of the esophagus.
While the specific mechanism is unclear, there is some evidence that sleep deprivation, particularly during the REM stage, may contribute to acid reflux. A study on rats found that chronic REM sleep deprivation increased the incidence of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), suggesting a potential link between sleep disturbances and indigestion. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings in humans.
To minimize the risk of indigestion and sleep disturbances, it is generally recommended to avoid late-night snacking and opt for low-fat foods if eating close to bedtime. While cheese may not cause nightmares, its high-fat content and potential impact on digestion should be considered when consumed before bed.
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Frequently asked questions
No, eating cheese before bed does not give you bad dreams. However, it may give you vivid and unusual dreams.
Cheese contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body produce serotonin, the hormone that makes you feel happy, which significantly impacts sleep.
According to a study by the British Cheese Board, different types of cheese can induce different types of dreams. For example, eating Red Leicester cheese may lead to nostalgic dreams about childhood or family, while eating Lancashire cheese may lead to dreams about work or the future.
No, eating cheese before bed does not cause nightmares. In fact, according to the study by the British Cheese Board, eating cheese may prevent nightmares and improve sleep quality.
Yes, eating a large amount of cheese or any other food before bed can cause indigestion and disrupt sleep, which may indirectly lead to more vivid dreams or nightmares.
