Cheese Induced Sleepwalking – How Cheese Affects Your Sleep

Have you ever heard of cheese induced sleepwalking?
A recent report mentioned that having high levels of dairy and cheese before bedtime might increase your odds of sleepwalking, especially if you have a history of being somnambulant.
This is apparently a condition that some people experience after consuming cheese. The evidence pointing to cheese as being the cause of this symptom is so strong and lucid that it has been termed it as ‘cheese-induced sleepwalking.’
But is this all true? Let’s do a fact check.
Cheese and Sleep – Myths vs Facts
Cheese is a food that has been around since the beginning of time. It was first discovered in the Middle East, and even today, it is a staple in many countries across the globe. In fact, there are more than 3,000 different types of cheeses available worldwide!
But what does this delicious dairy product have to do with your sleep? It turns out that there are several myths about cheese and sleep that have been circulating for years. But how much truth is there behind them? Let’s take a closer look at some of these myths:
Myth #1: Eating cheese before bed will give you nightmares (and nightmares can cause sleepwalking).
Fact: While there may be some truth to this myth, it’s not as simple as it seems. While many people believe that eating cheese before bed can result in nightmares, it’s important to note that this is only true if you suffer from lactose intolerance or other digestive issues related to dairy products.
If you do not suffer from any digestive issues and still experience nightmares after eating certain foods before bedtime, then it’s likely due to other factors such as stress.
Myth #2: Eating cheese before bed makes you sleepy
It’s true that eating a big meal before bed can make you feel drowsy. But that’s because your body requires energy to digest food—not because of cheese specifically. If you eat too much before bedtime, it’ll be harder for your body to rest because it has work to do.
Myth #3: Cheese causes bedwetting in children
Fact: Children who consume too much dairy may experience temporary incontinence while sleeping due to increased fluid intake during the day (and night).
This can result in nighttime wetting but it’s not caused by eating cheese specifically; all dairy products increase urine output so limiting dairy consumption is recommended for those who already suffer from nighttime wetting issues like bedwetting.

What Can Happen If You Eat Cheese Before Bed?
If you’re looking for a way to fall asleep, cheese may be the last thing on your mind. However, there are a few things to be aware of when it comes to the effects of cheese on sleep.
Cheese is made from milk and has a high amount of tryptophan, which is an amino acid that can help you fall asleep. This amino acid can also help you stay asleep throughout the night. In addition, cheese contains calcium and magnesium which can help relax your muscles and reduce stress.
While eating some cheese before bed may help you sleep better, it’s important not to overdo it. If you eat too much cheese before bedtime, it could cause indigestion or heartburn which could disrupt your sleep pattern.
Cheese-Induced Sleepwalking – Can Cheese Induce Sleepwalking?
Before we dive deeper, let’s first talk about sleepwalking.
Sleepwalking is a disorder that affects around 4% of adults, usually during their childhood or adolescence. In most cases, the person who is sleepwalking isn’t aware that they are doing it and they often don’t remember much about their behavior when they wake up in the morning.
What really causes sleepwalking? The condition is caused by an underlying medical or psychological problem rather than anything related to sleep deprivation or poor quality of sleep. The most common cause of sleepwalking is a type of epilepsy, but there may be other reasons too such as stress, anxiety or alcohol abuse.
As such, the exact cause of sleepwalking remains unknown, but scientists believe that it may be also due to an imbalance in certain chemicals in the brain. These imbalances are believed to cause changes in your sleeping patterns and make you more likely to engage in behaviors while sleeping such as walking around your house or even driving a car.
Cheese, on another note, is a popular food item in many countries, but is it also a sleepwalking trigger? While some people believe that eating cheese before bed may cause them to sleepwalk, others say that it actually helps them fall asleep faster. Some even claim that eating cheese before bedtime can prevent sleepwalking altogether.

How does cheese affect your sleep? Cheese contains tryptophan – an amino acid which is believed to help people fall asleep faster by increasing serotonin levels in their brains.
Serotonin is responsible for regulating moods and emotions; therefore, an increase in serotonin levels will result in feelings of relaxation and calmness which may encourage deep sleep and help reduce stress levels associated with insomnia caused by anxiety disorders.
So, is sleepwalking induced by cheese? Based on what we know, the answer is no, there is no direct correlation between cheese and sleepwalking. You are very much entitled to that cheeseboard after dinner, just don’t overdo it.
Eating Cottage Cheese Before Bed – Can It Help For Better Sleep?
Cottage cheese is a great source of calcium and protein, which can help regulate your sleep cycle by promoting restful sleep. Cottage cheese also contains tryptophan, an amino acid which triggers the production of serotonin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of well-being and happiness—and sleep experts say it also plays an important role in inducing sleepiness.
In addition to its sleep-inducing properties, cottage cheese is also high in vitamin D, which can help reduce stress levels and improve your mood.
So if you’re having trouble sleeping at night because of stress or anxiety, eating a serving of cottage cheese before bed may help calm your mind so you can drift off into dreamland.
Eating Blue Cheese Before Bed – How It Can Affect Your Dreams?
Tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which are chemical compounds both found in blue cheese, have been discovered to increase your brain’s production of serotonin and dopamine.
These neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating your mood and sleep quality respectively, which explains why eating blue cheese before bed can make it easier for you to fall asleep quickly and also makes it more likely that you will experience vivid dreams during sleep.
Can Cheese Cause Insomnia, Or It’s Just A Tale?
I would say the latter.
Cheese is a rich source of tryptophan, which is an amino acid. Tryptophan helps in making serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps you sleep.

But there are also other components in cheese which can make you feel drowsy, like calcium and magnesium. It has been found that calcium binds to the receptors of the brain, which help you relax and sleep well. Magnesium also helps with relaxation and plays an important role in balancing out the stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
The amount of tryptophan found in cheese is not enough to make you sleepy or increase sleep quality. However, it does make your body produce more melatonin which helps you sleep better at night by blocking the light signals from reaching your brain.
The Best Way To Improve Your Sleep (Without Nightmares & Sleepwalking)
- The best way to improve your quality of sleep is to make sure you’re getting enough of it. Sleep deprivation is associated with depression, weight gain and heart disease, so it’s important to get enough rest.
- It’s also important to make sure that you’re sleeping in a dark room, with no disruptions from electronics or noise. Try using blackout curtains and earplugs if necessary.
- Another important part of improving your sleep quality is making sure that you’re getting enough exercise during the day. Exercise helps regulate your body clock, which helps keep you on a regular schedule and make it easier for you to fall asleep at night.
- Use natural sleep aids to achieve a better quality of sleep.
- Include a mood enhancer supplement in your daily regimen, such as Serenity. This formula gives you better rest and sleep, which in turn makes you feel more energized the next day.
Can You Trigger Sleepwalking With Cheese?
Cheese and chocolate induced sleepwalking have become popular in the internet. But if based on facts alone, we can’t really say that cheese triggers sleepwalking.
Scientists have long been searching for a direct link between cheese consumption and sleepwalking, but they have not found any evidence supporting this claim.
In a study published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine, researchers analyzed the data of people who were surveyed about their sleep habits and eating behaviors. They found that there is no association between eating cheese before bedtime and experiencing nightmares or restless sleep.
This does not mean that you can eat cheese before going to bed without worrying about it affecting your sleep quality.
It may take longer for your body to digest cheese compared to other foods which can mess up with your sleeping pattern if you have trouble falling asleep at night or waking up early in the morning because of indigestion issues caused by eating too much dairy products during dinner time hours before going to bedtime.
Does Cheese Cause Night Terrors?
NO. Night terrors are a sleep disorder characterized by a sudden awakening from deep sleep that can be accompanied by screaming or thrashing. They typically occur during the first third of the night, and victims often do not remember having had one.
It’s true that certain foods can directly affect your sleep quality, but cheese is not one of them.

Foods that contain tryptophan, like turkey and milk, can help you fall asleep faster because they’re converted into serotonin in your brain—the same chemical that helps regulate mood and promotes relaxation.
However, if you eat too much of these foods before bedtime, they can also make it harder for you to wake up in the morning and keep you feeling groggy throughout the day.
Why Does Cheese Cause Insomnia?
The answer to this question can be complicated. While it is true that cheese has a high concentration of tryptophan, which is an amino acid that is known to promote sleepiness, eating too much cheese can also disrupt the circadian rhythm of your body.
This is because tryptophan is metabolized in the brain and converted into serotonin, which can then cross the blood-brain barrier and cause drowsiness.
However, if you eat too much cheese before bedtime, it may disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it difficult for you to fall asleep. To avoid any sleeplessness caused by cheese, it’s only because you have to consume it in moderation.
Next time you want to indulge in a gourmet cheese experience, consider balancing it with a light snack before bedtime.
Eating excess cheese at night can increase your chances of getting up – not to sleepwalk, but because you feel discomfort or you need to go to the bathroom. If you are planning on indulging in plenty of cheese before bedtime, always remember that balance is important for your overall health.
Another thing to note is that while cheese can certainly be a sleep aid, it isn’t a miracle cure-all. You need to be careful with your portion sizes—too much cheese can cause digestive issues and other problems. And while the milk in cheese may help you fall asleep faster, it won’t necessarily make you stay asleep longer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I’m not saying you should avoid cheese altogether. It’s a great food that offers many health benefits. However, if you find yourself becoming drowsy and constipated after eating a big meal of cheese (or any other food), consider cutting down on the amount that you have, or better yet, try out some dairy alternatives.
So, while cheese may be a good way to wind down after dinner, if you are looking for a better quality of sleep overall, how about try some other methods as well?
You can do some meditation, daily exercises even for 30 minutes, and even taking supplements like melatonin or valerian root help many people get more restful sleep every night. You can also try some of the sleep aids to provide you with that well-deserved slumber after a long day.