A number of my friends and family members say they have to eat right before bedtime because they can't sleep with an empty stomach. People who can't sleep on an empty stomach aren't alone in their late night snacking. A survey by SupermarketGuru.com showed that 75% of people "sometimes" eat just before going to bed and 37% eat while in bed. Does the type of food you eat before hitting the sack really have an impact on your dreams or is that just and old wives tale?

They (watch the Video tab to find out who THEY really are) say that eating cheese before bed will cause nightmares. In 2005 the British Cheese Board conducted a study showing that as opposed to nightmares, cheese actually aids in a good night's sleep and different types of cheeses can trigger vivid dreams and specific types of dreams. When metabolized, cheese releases the mood regulating hormone serotonin which could possibly trigger vivid dreams. Cheese and other dairy products also amino acids that are shown to reduce stress and induce sleep. The study also indicated that the type of cheese eaten before bed can be linked to certain types of dreams. For example, 85% of women who ate 20g of stilton cheese before bed reported very bizarre dreams while 75% of male stilton eaters reported odd and vivid dreams as well, proving there is more truth in this warning than tale.

It is unconfirmed, but many people claim eating spice foods before bed is associated with having disturbing or vivid dreams. In a South Carolina Writer's Workshop, participants are told that eating spicy food before sleeping and keeping a bedside journal to record their dreams is a good way to work on a story when they aren't writing. Sleep researchers have found that spicy foods can cause indigestion, thus causing more vivid dreams.

Chinese food containing MSG is another dream affecting food. Studies show that MSG not only contributes to disturbing dream or nightmares, but can also be linked to sleepwalking. So piling up a plate of General Tso's or Kung Pow Chicken before bed might be the reason you are getting less than your eight as opposed to your not having a sleep number bed.

With more than half of us dozing off while our body is working to metabolize food, our favorite grocers and restaurants are controlling most of our sleeping habits. Now that's a scary thought - dream advertising.