Have you ever woken up from a dream so strange that you couldn’t help but wonder, what did I eat last night?
If your dinner included a hefty serving of cheese, you might be onto something.
The idea that cheese impacts our dreams has been a long-standing topic of curiosity, but could there actually be something to it?
Is it possible that the type of cheese you consume before bed shapes not only the quality of your sleep but also the wild, vivid dreams that follow?
You may have already heard the idea that cheese causes nightmares.
Many people attribute their bizarre or unsettling dreams to a late-night cheese snack. But is there any science to back this claim?
A fascinating study conducted by the British Cheese Board in 2005 provides some unexpected answers—and, let’s just say, the results are anything but ordinary.
In fact, they include a vegetarian crocodile upset because it can’t eat children.
This small yet quirky research project shows us that cheese’s effects on dreams might not be as strange as they seem.
And it might even make you rethink your late-night snack choices.
What’s Really Going On?
Before diving into the surreal nature of the dreams themselves, let’s take a moment to consider the science behind the phenomenon.
The study focused on the question: Does eating cheese before bed really make a difference in the dreams we have?
According to the British Cheese Board’s findings, the answer is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.
In a controlled experiment, the researchers gave 100 men and 100 women a 20-gram portion of cheese half an hour before bed, every night for a week.
The study participants were assigned one of six different types of cheese: Stilton, Cheddar, Red Leicester, British Brie, Lancashire, or Cheshire.
The participants were then asked to record their dreams as soon as they woke up the next morning, while also noting how well they slept.
Interestingly, 67% of participants remembered their dreams, but, contrary to popular belief, not a single participant reported a nightmare.
While the sample size was small and the findings weren’t earth-shattering, the results were still interesting.
The British Cheese Board was delighted with the outcome, as it contradicted the common assumption that cheese causes nightmares or disrupted sleep.
But this isn’t where the story ends.
In fact, this is where it gets even more fascinating.
Dreams as Diverse as the Cheeses Themselves
While the study didn’t find any link between cheese and nightmares, it did uncover something much more peculiar: cheese seems to influence the content of dreams in highly distinct ways.
Yes, you read that right—different types of cheese may lead to different types of dreams.
Here’s a breakdown of the surprising patterns the researchers discovered:
- Stilton: Among the female participants, 85% reported having crazy, vivid dreams after eating Stilton. These weren’t just regular dreams, either. We’re talking about bizarre, surreal scenarios like:
- Talking soft toys holding intense conversations.A vegetarian crocodile upset that it couldn’t eat children.Dinner party guests being traded for camels.Soldiers fighting with kittens instead of guns.A party in a lunatic asylum.
- Red Leicester: In contrast, Red Leicester seemed to have a calming effect, with 83% of participants reporting restful, pleasant sleep. Many participants also noted that their dreams were nostalgic—in fact, 60% of participants who ate Red Leicester before bed dreamed about fond childhood memories.
- Cheddar: Eating Cheddar appeared to encourage dreams about celebrities. If you’ve ever woken up with the sensation of mingling with the stars in your dreams, you might want to blame it on your favorite cheese.
- Cheshire: The findings about Cheshire were perhaps the most intriguing of all. Over half of the participants who ate Cheshire cheese experienced dreamless nights, which could suggest that Cheshire cheese has a neutral or even sedative effect on the brain.
But why does this happen? What is it about cheese that creates such diverse dream experiences?
The Tryp-to-Fantastic Dreams: The Role of Tryptophan
To understand what’s going on here, we need to dig deeper into the biology of cheese.
The British Cheese Board’s Nigel White explains that the key factor might be an essential amino acid found in cheese called tryptophan.
This amino acid is known to play a crucial role in regulating sleep patterns and reducing stress levels.
Tryptophan is the same substance that is found in turkey and is famous for making people feel sleepy after a hearty Thanksgiving meal.
But in addition to promoting restful sleep, tryptophan can also influence dream quality.
When you consume cheese before bed, the tryptophan in the cheese helps your brain create serotonin, which can lead to better sleep and potentially more vivid, emotional dreams.
This might explain why participants who ate Stilton—one of the stronger cheeses—experienced such outlandish, colorful dreams, while those who ate Red Leicester had more comforting, nostalgic dreams.
The different types of cheese likely contain varying amounts of tryptophan, contributing to their distinct effects on dream content.
Is Cheese Really That Bad for Your Sleep?
For years, we’ve been told that eating cheese before bed is a bad idea. It’s often blamed for causing restlessness, nightmares, and digestive discomfort.
But this study throws a wrench into that popular assumption.
It turns out that cheese might actually help you sleep better—or at the very least, have a more interesting experience in your dreams.
While it’s easy to assume that cheese disrupts sleep due to its high-fat content, the actual science suggests that it may help some people by enhancing the quality of their sleep rather than harming it.
In fact, the British Cheese Board’s study indicates that cheese could aid in achieving more restful, deep sleep, especially when consumed in moderation and with the right variety.
This shift in perspective isn’t just limited to cheese, either. Other studies have suggested that small amounts of dairy can help calm the mind before bed, leading to better sleep cycles.
So, if you’ve been avoiding cheese before bed out of fear of nightmares or bad sleep, it might be time to reconsider—and maybe choose a specific type that suits your sleep style.
What Do These Findings Mean for Sleep and Dream Research?
While the British Cheese Board’s study is entertaining and intriguing, it’s important to remember that it’s just a small, exploratory study.
The sample size was limited, and the study wasn’t peer-reviewed, so it’s not conclusive.
However, these findings do open the door to new research into the relationship between food and sleep, particularly in the context of dream quality.
In the broader field of sleep research, there’s still much to be learned about how food influences dreams and sleep patterns.
Researchers are beginning to explore the role of amino acids, neurotransmitters, and even microbial interactions in the gut in determining what we experience during sleep.
If nothing else, the Cheese and Dreams study highlights the complexity of our relationship with food, sleep, and our subconscious minds.
A Cheesy Path to Better Sleep?
So, does cheese give you nightmares?
Based on the findings from the British Cheese Board, the answer seems to be no. Instead, cheese could actually improve the quality of your sleep and even influence the nature of your dreams in unexpected ways.
The next time you’re craving a midnight snack, you might want to choose your cheese carefully—whether you’re looking for sweet nostalgia with Red Leicester or a wildly bizarre adventure with Stilton.
Whatever you choose, one thing’s for sure: cheese doesn’t just fill your stomach; it might just fill your dreams with unforgettable experiences.
Sources:
The British Cheese Board, NPR, University of Surrey
