More dreams of the rarebit fiend: food sensitivity and dietary correlates of sleep and dreaming.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite centuries-old beliefs and anecdotal evidence that food can influence one's sleep and dreams-an example being the classic Dream of the Rarebit Fiend cartoon series-the topic has only rarely been researched.

Methods

We asked 1,082 participants to complete an online survey to test specific hypotheses on why people perceive that food affects their dreams, including whether specific foods influence dreams directly (food-specific effects), through physiological symptoms (food distress), or via altered sleep quality (sleep effects). Survey measures included standard demographic variables, targeted probes about self-perceived effects of specific foods on dreams, questions about diet, food intolerances and allergies, personality questionnaires, measures of s

SUBMITTER: Nielsen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12259596 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature