A recent study involving 1,082 students at Macewan University explored sleep quality, dietary habits, and the perceived connection between the two, revealing a notable relationship between nightmares and lactose intolerance.
Nielsen et al. The research indicates a link between lactose intolerance, dairy consumption, nightmares, and sleep deprivation. Image credit: Micya HNBS.
“The intensity of nightmares shows a strong correlation with lactose intolerance and various food allergies,” noted Dr. Torre Nielsen, a researcher at the University of Monttoriol.
“These findings suggest that modifying dietary habits for individuals with food sensitivities may help alleviate nightmare occurrences.”
“This also explains why many attribute dairy consumption to their unpleasant dreams!”
In this study, 1,082 students from Macewan University were surveyed regarding the perceived connections among sleep duration and quality, dreams, nightmares, and various food items.
Participants’ relationships between their mental and physical well-being and their diet were also examined.
About a third of the respondents reported experiencing regular nightmares. Women were noted to reminisce about their dreams more and were nearly twice as likely to report sleep deprivation and nightmares compared to men.
Roughly 40% of those surveyed admitted to eating late at night or believing certain foods might disrupt their sleep. Around 25% felt that specific foods had a negative impact on their sleep quality.
Interestingly, those who adhered to healthier eating habits tended to report more negative dreams and were less likely to remember them.
“Journalists frequently inquire, especially around food-centric holidays, about the effects of food on our dreams. Now we have some insights,” Dr. Nielsen explained.
The majority of participants who criticized certain foods for causing sleep disturbances pointed to sweets, spicy foods, or dairy products.
A relatively small segment—5.5% of participants—believed their eating habits influenced the nature of their dreams, with many citing sweets and dairy as making their dreams more vivid or bizarre.
Researchers discovered a link between lactose intolerance, gastrointestinal issues, nightmares, and poor sleep quality, comparing reports of food intolerances with reports of nightmares and sleep deprivation.
Consuming dairy products can trigger gastrointestinal problems, leading to discomfort that affects one’s dreams and quality of sleep.
“Nightmares are particularly troubling for those with lactose intolerance, especially those experiencing severe gastrointestinal symptoms that disrupt their sleep,” stated Dr. Nielsen.
“This aligns with the understanding that various physical sensations can significantly impact our dream experiences.”
“Frequent nightmares can be highly disruptive, often waking individuals in uncomfortable states.”
“This may also lead to behaviors aimed at avoiding sleep.”
“Both issues contribute to a lack of restful sleep.”
Survey results will be published in the journal Frontiers of Psychology.
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Torre Nielsen et al. 2025. More Dreams of the Rarebit Devil: Correlation between Food Sensitivity and Food in Sleep and Dreams. Frontiers in Psychology 16; doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544475
Source: www.sci.news
