A weekly guide to the biggest developments in health, medicine and wellbeing delivered to your inbox. It's simple: Anything that could cause indigestioncheese, spicy foods, a big mealmakes you stir more, meaning you have a better shot of remembering that nightmare. Depression: Mood issues related to such life changes as divorce or break-up, death of a loved one, financial woes, and career concerns can lead to nightmares in some of us. UHN Premier Pass is your online passport to the full resources of University Health News! In turn, your brain activity will increase. So, why should you avoid a quattro formaggi pizza right before bed? Pair with a glass of red and an episode (or four) of your favourite Netflix show for an ultimate cosy night in. Well be the first to admit weve left the house at 8pm on a Tuesday night just for a scoop of Messina. Its so easy to lose precious sleep during the best of times. But there are definitely foods that can help you on your quest to sleep worse, if you think it's worth it. Cleveland Clinic reports that it decreases deep sleep and increases REM sleep. (Image: istock). The researchers also suggest that fasting or dieting can influence the intensity of dreaming. Serotonin is the chemical in the brain that helps to keep the mood stabilized. In a 2015 study, 17.8% of participants self-reported having bad or weird dreams caused by what they ate or caused by eating too late at night. While nightmares can be disturbing for a child, theyre a normal part of our development. When it comes to sugar, this does raise the blood sugar of the body, which can have an effect on a person's sleep. Researchers found that pasta along with bread reduced sleep quality. With your body working overtime to process everything, it can keep you from getting the rest you need. 44% of respondents say they had disturbing dreams after eating dairy, 19% reported nightmares after eating spicy foods, and 27% had bizarre dreams after eating sweet foods. You might think that alcohol makes you sleep better because it makes you drowsy, but it turns out alcohol actually lessens your sleep quality. When alcohol is in your system, it can cause vivid dreams and nightmares to become more intense, realistic and scary. While alcohol is actually a sedative, and can make you sleepy, its not actually good for sleep. The Wall Street Journal cites a study that says that, when spicy foods raise your bodys temperature, it can lead to waking up more in the night. Waking up in a sweat from an oh-so-real nightmare can throw a restful sleep out the window. Especially for those with heartburn, deep-fried and oily food will cause gastric acid to flare. Whether smothered in peanut butter or loaded with smashed avo, bread is the beloved base of some of our most popular meals. If chicken and rice still sounds bland, check out some of these stir-fry recipes for inspiration (just make sure you dont make them too spicy). Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. Loaded with natural sugars, eating a banana before hitting the sack can cause your stomach to continue digesting overnight and may heighten your chances of experiencing vivid dreams or even nightmares.