Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Are You Dreaming More Since Being gluten-free?

chestnut

By chestnut
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

chestnut Rookie
chestnut
Posted

I'm glad to have found this issue coming up here. I'm brand new to being gluten-free and am suddenly dreaming like crazy.

I always thought it was funny that I didn't. As a kid I dreamed but then hit my teens and they just stopped. I've probably had 2 I remembered in the past 20 years.

Then I went gluten-free and suddenly I'm a dreaming machine.

I didn't think it was due to being gluten-free because I also started taking Melatonin to help me sleep (I've never been a great sleeper) and on various discussion boards regarding Melatonin, people say it makes them dream.

So what's the deal? Is it the Melatonin or the gluten-free? Seems too much a coincidence that it's both.

Does anyone know of any veriable medical research supporting the "suddenly dreaming" gluten-free claims?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


TestyTommy Rookie
TestyTommy
Posted

I'm dreaming significantly more since going gluten-free. I, too, was one of those people who never dreamed. Now I dream most nights. I am sleeping more deeply and getting more rest, too. I think the increase in dreams is related to spending more time in deep sleep, which is the only time you dream.

I've used melatonin in years past, with no increase in dreams.

I think it's the gluten-free. I'd recommend getting rid of the melatonin as soon as you can.

ianm Apprentice
ianm
Posted

I hardly dream at all anymore and I take melatonin from time to time. I used to dream most every night and usually very vivid and horrific nightmares.

chestnut Rookie
chestnut
Posted
  • Author
I think it's the gluten-free. I'd recommend getting rid of the melatonin as soon as you can.

Why get rid of the Melatonin? I've read nothing but good things about it.

In regard to your theory that the "new dreaming" has something to do with sleeping more soundly, I'm not sure I get that.

You dream during REM sleep which occurs every 4 hours. So if you sleep 6 hours you should have a shot at dreaming. I've never been a long sleeper but I get at least 6 hours every night. Therefore I should've been dreaming. I didn't start until the Melatonin.

I'm not sleeping longer or "deeper" I don't think. What relevance would that have to being gluten-free?

Sorry, I'm relatively new to the whole thing and I'm not seeing a scientific reason there. Please educate me if you know.

Thanks for your reply!

jnifred Explorer
jnifred
Posted

For years I have had issues with getting a relaxing nights sleep, I've been dealing with Rhuematoid Arthrits issues also. Once I started taking a muscle relaxer I found that I could sleep for a normal period of time and wake up rested and was having dreams again. I hadn't even realized that I wasn't dreaming until I started having dreams on occasion.

I used to sleep 8-12hours a night and wake up exhausted, I never dreamed or remembered them anyway if I did and it was because I never fell into a deep, relaxing sleep. I don't know if I was in REM or not, never did a sleep study, but I think that if you are not relaxed enough you can skip over REM sleep even if you sleep a long time. That was my theory, anyway, to always being exhausted even though I'd sleep and nap with the boys, when they were little.

Since going gluten-free, my arthritis is sooooo much better and I sleep much better most nights and have dreams more often. I think it is because my body is not achy, crampy, bloated and etc. I know my arthritis always flared up when I was too tired, ate too much fast food and junk, didn't get enough water, etc....

Rachel--24 Collaborator
Rachel--24
Posted

I guess I'm the opposite because for 2 years before going gluten-free I had nightmares nearly every night. Since the diet I dont think I've had any nightmares at all. I rarely dream now. I just sleep peacefully. The nightmares were horrible and I'd wake up with alot of anxiety from them.

chestnut Rookie
chestnut
Posted
  • Author
I guess I'm the opposite because for 2 years before going gluten-free I had nightmares nearly every night. Since the diet I dont think I've had any nightmares at all. I rarely dream now. I just sleep peacefully. The nightmares were horrible and I'd wake up with alot of anxiety from them.

Looks like there are no solid answers. Each person has different experiences.

I went gluten-free a short time (I don't remember exact dates but they were close together) before I started taking Melatonin and didn't have any dreams before the Melatonin so I guess, for me, it's the Melatonin.

It's interesting how differently it seems to affect (Celiac) different people.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Nate Apprentice
Nate
Posted

Hey Chestnut, for me it was the same. Since I've been gluten free I dream all the time. It was one of the first things I noticed.

N

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

I almost never remembered my dreams before going gluten-free. I noticed shortly after starting the diet, I remember my dreams so much more often. I don't have nightmares, but my dreams are complicated--lots of people and places from different times in my life. Pretty entertaining, actually :D . I believe this is because I sleep better now and probably also sleep deeper.

penguin Community Regular
penguin
Posted

I've read that remembering your dreams isn't a good thing. You dream in REM, and if you remember your dreams you were pulled out of REM abruptly. Therefore, you're not as well rested because the sleep cycle was interrupted at the same time.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

That's dissapointing--I really felt I was sleeping better :angry:

paulasimone Rookie
paulasimone
Posted

i'm like rachel and ian - i had vivid, horrific nightmares all the time. much less so now that i'm gluten-free.

seems to make sense (to me at least) with what i've read in the science journals of documented connection between celiac and psychosis, schizophrenia, etc - some theorize that celiac-related psychosis is partly because you can't absorb the good stuff (b vitamins, etc) and partly because you do absorb psychosis-causing stuff - so it's like you're having a bad hallucinogenic trip. maybe we were experiencing something similar with our dreams. in any case, i'm so glad they're better now.

  • 1 month later...
Ashley Enthusiast
Ashley
Posted

Kind of. My dreams are just plain-out strange, but, they're not nightmares. A lot of them I'll wake myself up laughing about the dream. I like dreams---they make sleep more interesting =P My all time favorite is the one where I went to a water park with my Mom, and two cartoon characters Zim and GIR (GIR is a little dancin' robot in a dog suit that was previously my avatar) and went down a tube in on a slide XD

-Ash

  • 1 month later...
fullstrength Newbie
fullstrength
Posted

I have definitely started dreaming more since I have been gluten free. That's what brings me to this thread because I did a search to see if it was related. I know I have had sleep problems for a long time. Not sure why this is caused by gluten intolerence, but I am glad I am dreaming. I do rememeber also when I was younger and healthier I used to dream like mad. I used too love dreaming too and always felt I was missing out by not dreaming. You usually can remember your dreams when you just wake up or so I remember that is what I used to do, but the simple fact was I really wasn't dream much any more. This translated too being tired all the time.

Now that I am dreaming. I sleep less I mean probable 3-4 hours less. before I would sleep like 10-11 hours a day, but now I feel like I don't need that much sleep and the sleep I do get is more refreshing. I also am having great dreams very vivid and intresting. I used too remember too that my dreams would be a doorway to what I was thinking about in my life. Now that I am dreaming my subconscience is coming out.

-O

I've read that remembering your dreams isn't a good thing. You dream in REM, and if you remember your dreams you were pulled out of REM abruptly. Therefore, you're not as well rested because the sleep cycle was interrupted at the same time.
Guest moorkitty
Guest moorkitty
Posted

I'm actually dreaming less since being g.f. Funny, because I never really thought about it much till I came upon this thread. Looks like we're all different! But I am sleeping more soundly.

GravStars Contributor
GravStars
Posted
Why get rid of the Melatonin? I've read nothing but good things about it.

i've heard good and bad. (try googling "dangers of melatonin").

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

I rarely remember my dreams now that I'm gluten-free. If I remember my dreams, I know that I've gotten glutened. It's one of my most consistent symptoms when I get glutened.

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

I've always been a dreamer but I don't have as many nightmares now

  • 4 weeks later...
indyceliac Newbie
indyceliac
Posted

Ive always remembered my dreams, way too vividly..had lots of nightmares.

Now i dream about eating gluten containing foods and freaking out..and waking up relieved that it was just a dream. lol

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,665
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Christa Cook
    Newest Member
    Christa Cook
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
    • Scott Adams
      Medication

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Welcome to the community! Generally, for a gluten challenge before celiac disease blood tests, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is considered safe and should not interfere with your antibody results. The medications you typically need to avoid are those like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) that can cause intestinal irritation, which could potentially complicate the interpretation of an endoscopy if you were to have one. However, it is absolutely crucial that you confirm this with either your gastroenterologist or your surgeon before your procedure. They know the specifics of your case and can give you the definitive green light, ensuring your surgery is comfortable and your celiac testing remains accurate. Best of luck with your surgery tomorrow
    • Xravith
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Xravith · Posted

      Thank you for the advice. I’ve actually never checked for nutritional deficiencies, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always taken vitamin and mineral supplements — otherwise my symptoms get worse. This week I stopped eating gluten to confirm whether my symptoms are really caused by it. Starting next week, I’ll reintroduce gluten — it’s sad to go back to how I was before — but at least I’ll be able to take the necessary tests properly. I think the diagnostic process will be long, but at least I’m happy that I finally decided to address this doubt I’ve had for years.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.