Study Finds Certain Foods Could Cause Nightmares

Yahoo

02-07-2025

Having a problem with nightmares and poor sleep? You might want to be mindful of what you're eating and when you're eating it.
A study done at the University of Montreal that was published in Frontiers in Psychology finds that certain foods eaten during the evening or late at night may cause nightmares and impact sleep.
The study involved 1,082 participants and 40.2% of them reported that certain foods either helped or hurt their sleep. Also, 5.5% of the participants reported that food impacted their dreams.
The study found that it was plausible that those who both consumed dairy products and had lactose intolerance were more susceptible to "bizarre or disturbing dreams."
Dairy products were only the second-most troublesome thing when it came to bad dreams, though, as desserts and sweets topped the list among respondents.
"The perceived effect of food on dreams was associated with higher nightmare recall and Nightmare Disorder Index scores, with changes being blamed primarily on desserts/sweets (31%) and dairy (22%)," the study said.
As far as lactose-related nightmares are concerned, issues with digesting the dairy products while sleeping could be at the root of the problem. Food allergies and gluten intolerance were also mentioned.
Bloating, gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, and nausea and vomiting are all gastrointestinal issues that are symptoms of lactose intolerance, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Researchers also noted that healthier eating — and particularly less eating in the evening — was linked to better dream recall.Study Finds Certain Foods Could Cause Nightmares first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 1, 2025