Hi everyone,

I have been experiencing vivid dreams and nightmares since I started Atkins, I know many others I have contacted have had the same experience, but I am getting really disturbed with some nightmares, I have had nightmares now for 3 nights on a row and it is really disturbing me and putting me in a really disturbed mood for most of the day.

Has anyone noticed a specific pattern with such dreams, i.e. is it due to eating specific foods?? or eating on specific times??? I normally don't eat anything after 7 pm so it can't be that I am eating too late, I didn't have any cheese for the last 3 days so it can't be cheese, if anyone can help with this please let me know.

many thanks

Hi Sandy!

This sounds like quite a problem. The only thing I've heard is that too much vitamin B12 and B6 can give you intensive dreams. Perhaps you have started taking a supplement AND you eat foods containing lots of vitamins from B-group?
My husband started taking supplements recently and for the first time in his life he has vivid dreams/nightmares and can actually remember them.

Check it out. Here is a link to supplements info.

Hope this helps, maybe others know more on this.
Alina

I had vivid dreams for almost two weeks but they were good dreams so I didnt mind. They seem to be getting less vivid the longer I stay on atkins.

If you are having bad nightmares, maybe you are experiencing a lot of stress in your life? Whenever I have a lot of stress, I have nasty nightmares!

Maybe you should try some forms of stress relief, especially before going to bed...yoga, hot bath, tea, relaxing breathing techniques, journaling, etc. ...whatever makes you feel good!

By the way, I have also heard a theory that you will dream about whatever you were thinking about before falling asleep (hence bad dreams if you have stressful thoughts). Try thinking happy thoughts before drifting off!

P.S. Hope this isn't too risque, but I have also read that if you usually do NOT sleep in the nude, but suddenly start sleeping in the nude, you will have erotic dreams...which would probably not be a bad change to most people.

I have been on this WOE for 6 weeks now and last night I had my first nightmare. I don't think it was connected to the diet.

thanks ladyfunk25, but my life is not any different now from a month ago when I started Atkins, in fact it is much nicer now with all the weight I lost , and the exercises I do, I did speak on other boards to many Atkineers and they all have experience such dreams and nightmares, that's how I thought it was connected to the diet or some kind of food??

My nightmares had nothing to do with what I was thinking before I go to bed, however , I am following the war news so may be some of that is affecting my dreams.

If anyone else have helpful tips on avoiding the nightmares please let me know.


Kind Regards

I have been having nightmares also. I work nights so I sleep during the day. I had an extremely vivid nightmare that my BF died and no one would tell me, just know I couldn't find him.....very disturbing. I took a nap later that day and my son say I was yell "you're murdering me". I love scary movies and "edge of the seat" books which can cause some pretty intense dreams but they don't bother me. These nightmares were much too disturbing!

This is so weird to be reading about this today, because I had a horrible nightmare last night and I've spent the morning with it being in the forefront of my head. I dreamt that my amazing, sweet, kind, unbelievable 19 year old son committed suicide. It was very vivid and real. There isn't a person in the world less likely to "out" themselves than him, but it was SOOOO disturbing. All around the house as I see his belongings (he no longer lives at home) the feelings of the dream overcome me. I just began Adkins 4 days ago, so I wonder if this dream is related. I do recall reading that vivid dreams or nightmares can come with this diet.........hmmm........

Louisa

Sandy - are you eating before you go to bed? If so, what are you eating and at what time. I've always had vivid dreams even before LCing, so I'm pretty sure it's not that. Cheese can be a culprit if you're eating that just before you go to bed. I'm sure watching the news isn't helping either - try watching a comedy instead.

Vikki

I had a nightmare last night that I was pregnant and had another little boy I even remenbered I named it Jacob and it was 10lbs.May not sound like a nightmare but it would be for me lol.I adore my 22mnth old son but I dont want anymore!I hardly ever remenber my dreams but lately I am.

There could be two things going on with the frequency of vivid dreams that aren't directly related to the food you eat. The first is that you may suffer from anxiety because you're making a big change in your life. This probably won't manifest conciously because you're happy about it, but in your subconcious, change is change and that's stressful. The other (and this is a little bit about food) is that your brain may be functioning more clearly, and you're just remembering more vivid or disturbing dreams than you did before.

From my experience, I usually only have nightmares when I'm stressed out or very worried. I had one the other night, the first in a long time, but I'm currently under a lot of stress.

As for dreams, I've always been a vivid dreamer, so that hasn't changed much.

Sorry I couldn't be more of a help. Hang in there!

Nikki