“Cheese gives you nightmares”

The idea that a late-night snack of cheese can lead to unsettling dreams has been a persistent piece of folklore for centuries. This common misconception finds its roots in cultural references, perhaps most famously in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," where Ebenezer Scrooge attributes his ghostly visions to "an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese." The early 20th-century comic strip "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" also played a significant role, depicting hapless diners experiencing bizarre nightmares after consuming Welsh rarebit, a rich, cheesy dish. These popular narratives helped cement the link between cheese and troubled sleep in the public imagination.

Despite the widespread belief, scientific evidence directly linking cheese to nightmares is scarce. In an effort to address this myth, the British Cheese Board conducted a study in 2005 involving 200 volunteers. Participants consumed 20 grams of various cheeses 30 minutes before bed each night for a week and recorded their dreams. The results indicated that none of the participants reported experiencing nightmares. In fact, many volunteers described pleasant dreams, with some even noting that different types of cheese seemed to influence the themes of their dreams, such as cheddar leading to celebrity encounters or Stilton prompting more vivid and unusual scenarios. The study concluded that cheese could be considered a "nightmare-free consumable."

People commonly believe this myth because, while cheese itself may not be the culprit, eating any heavy meal close to bedtime can indeed disrupt sleep. Large, rich foods require more effort for the digestive system, which can increase metabolism and body temperature, leading to a more restless night. This disturbed sleep can interfere with the normal sleep cycle, particularly REM sleep where vivid dreams occur, making dreams more memorable and intense. If these vivid dreams are unpleasant, individuals might mistakenly attribute them to the last food they ate, like cheese, a phenomenon known as the misattribution hypothesis. Additionally, for those with lactose intolerance, consuming dairy before bed can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, further disturbing sleep and potentially leading to more nightmares. Therefore, while cheese doesn't inherently cause nightmares, the act of eating a substantial amount of it or any rich food too close to bedtime can indirectly contribute to disrupted and vivid dreams, lending some plausibility to the age-old tale.