Dairy products have been potentially linked to bad dream patterns, a recent study has revealed.
The research, published Tuesday in Frontiers in Psychology, looked at the eating and sleeping habits of more than 1,000 people.
The research indicates that individuals experiencing more severe symptoms of lactose intolerance are more likely to report frequent nightmares.
In the study, 40 percent of students reported that certain foods affected their sleep, with 20 percent specifically identifying dairy products such as milk and cheese as disruptive to their sleep.
Only 6 percent of participants expressed a belief that food influences their dreams. Among those, volunteers ranked cheese as the second most influential factor on dreams, following sweets.
During the study, scientists examined not only the frequency of nightmares but also issues such as food allergies and lactose intolerance.
Experts found that individuals who had difficulty digesting lactose (the sugar in milk) frequently reported recurring nightmares. This trend was even more pronounced among those who also experienced bloating or abdominal pain.
The results showed that digestive problems disrupt sleep, causing a person to wake up frequently and dreams to be more vivid and negative. Inflammation in the body or increased levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) can also make the emotional side of dreams more negative.
Earlier, in another Canadian study from 2015, about 18 percent of students admitted to a connection between food and dreams. A 2022 online study found that people who eat more sweet foods tend to remember more nightmares.
However, scientists also pointed out some weaknesses in this study and said that all the information was provided by the participants themselves, which could be affected by memory errors or suggestion effects, and that evidence cannot be provided that milk and cheese directly cause nightmares.
Scientists say that more research is needed to reach final conclusions, which includes a full description of the diet, digestive symptoms, and scientific observation of dreams.
