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Can Eating Foods Such as Cheese Cause Vivid Dreams
Information provided by Disabled World - Published: 2011-08-08
Does eating certain foods before sleep cause you to dream more? Includes a list of foods that are reported to make you have vivid and lucid dreams.
Although scientists are still unsure of the relationship between dreams and eating before bed, it is clear that eating close to sleeping can cause disrupted sleep. It seems to depend on what is in the meal and what time you eat that meal before you go to sleep.
According to Medline Plus, eating right before bed increases your metabolism which also increases your brain's overnight activity, leading to dreams and nightmares. Whereas some substances such as alcohol and nicotine cause a lighter sleep and prevent REM sleep, which decreases dreaming.
Eating before bed can affect things other than dreams.
Eating before bed can increase heartburn, a condition in which stomach acid leaks from your stomach into your esophagus. This can lead to burning sensations and chest pain, disrupting your sleep. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, eating right before sleep can also aggravate cyclical vomiting syndrome, in which individuals suffer from episodes of nausea and vomiting.
What can you eat before bed to make your dreams more vivid?
Eating Cheese Before Bed:
One of the age-old beliefs is that eating cheese before bed will give you nightmares. But is it true and do different cheeses have different effects? Well, British researchers gave 200 people cheese every night for a week before bed. No one had a nightmare but it did affect their dreams. People who ate cheddar dreamt about celebrities. While another British cheese, Red Leicester, sent people back to their schooldays.
Eating Spicy Foods Before Bed:
When and what we eat may affect our nighttime rest, if not our tendency toward bad dreams. A study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology had a group of healthy men eat spicy meals before bed on some evenings and compared their quality of sleep on nights where they had non-spiced meals. On the spicy nights, the subjects spent more time awake and had poorer quality sleep. The explanation is that spicy food can elevate body temperatures and thus disrupt sleep. This may also be the reason why some people report bad dreams when they eat too close to bedtime. Though few studies have looked at it, eating close to bedtime increases metabolism and brain activity and may prompt bad dreams or nightmares.
Garlic:
There are a few people who claim garlic affects their sleep, as well as causing them to have weird dreams and really vivid nightmares.
Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine:
Some people swear taking Vitamin B6 before sleep will produce very vivid dreams. In addition scientists have found that vivid dreams are often a symptom of an excess of vitamin B6 in the body. Individuals who are taking a lot of vitamin B6 as a supplement may notice an increase in vivid dreaming. Foods that contain vitamin B6 include; ananas, oranges, fish, liver, beans, nuts, eggs, chicken, carrots, spinach, and other healthy foods.
Tryptophan:
Tryptophan is an amino acid taken by Vitamin B6 and converted into Serotonin. Serotonin can cause extremely vivid dreams at higher levels. Tryptophan is found in such foods as cheddar cheese, chicken, salmon, lamb, egg, flour, white rice, and milk. Cheddar cheese has the most amount of tryptophan.
Apple Cider Vinegar:
Apple Cider Vinegar has been said to cause extremely vivid and realistic dreams. Mix 2 tablespoons in a large glass of water, add some honey if you don't like the taste.
Other foods that are said to create vivid dreaming:
Pizza before bed is another food that many people suggest causes vivid dreams. It has also been reported that eating cabbage or brussel sprouts close to bedtime will bring your my dreams alive in smellovision.
Various herbal supplements and medication can also be a cause of vivid dreaming. For example, individuals who start taking anti-depressant medications will often notice an increase in vivid dreaming. Certain herbs, such as valerian root and chamomile, which are used to induce sleep, can also bring on more vivid dreams.
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- This web page is from the Disabled World Sleep Disorders section which provides: Information on common sleep disorders including sleep apnea snoring narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome.
- Human Brain Facts and Answers
- How to Overcome Insomnia
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