Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Lactose Intolerance Tied to More Intense Nightmares, Researchers Plan Controlled Cheese Trials

The peer-reviewed survey ties lactose intolerance–triggered digestive distress to heightened nightmares, moving researchers to launch controlled cheese versus control food trials.

A stock image of high vegetable and animal protein sources.
© Metamore Studios via Shutterstock
Image

Overview

  • Over 1,000 Canadian undergraduates reported on their sleep quality, eating habits and dream patterns, confirming a robust link between self-reported lactose intolerance and nightmare severity.
  • Participants with lactose intolerance who experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating or cramps reported more frequent and distressing nightmares.
  • Women in the study were nearly twice as likely as men to report food intolerances and they also reported poorer sleep quality and more nightmares.
  • Beyond dairy, respondents commonly blamed sweets and spicy foods for disturbing or bizarre dreams, underscoring multiple dietary triggers.
  • Building on these correlational findings published in Frontiers in Psychology, the team will conduct controlled trials comparing cheese ingestion with neutral foods to test causal effects on sleep and dreaming.