Is Cheese Messing With Your Dreams and Your Metabolism?

New research says yes—to at least one of those.

First, a cheesy nightmare update...

A study published in Frontiers in Psychology surveyed over 1,000 university students and discovered something interesting: those who ate dairy foods—especially cheese—were more likely to report vivid or disturbing dreams. (Frontiers)

So, is your midnight mozzarella ritual the reason you’ve been dreaming of apocalyptic raccoons? Possibly.

The twist? Many of those who reported dream disturbances were either lactose intolerant or had gut sensitivities—suggesting it’s not just what you eat, but how your body reacts to it.

How Cheese Could Be Affecting Your Sleep

• Digestive issues like bloating or cramping from cheese can disrupt your sleep cycles, leading to more intense REM-stage dreams (aka where nightmares usually happen).

• Poor sleep quality can make you remember dreams more vividly, especially if you're waking up frequently at night.

• Cheese and other aged dairy contain tyramine, an amino acid that can stimulate the brain and raise alertness, potentially making it harder to drift into restful sleep.

But What About Cheese and Your Metabolism?

Okay, let’s zoom out for a second. Is cheese always the villain?

The Good News

Studies show that when consumed in moderation, cheese can offer:

• Protein and essential nutrients: Cheese is rich in calcium, vitamin B12, and zinc, all of which support bone health, energy metabolism, and immune function.

• Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Found in full-fat dairy, CLA may help with fat metabolism and muscle maintenance, according to research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

• Satiety and weight management: High-protein cheeses like cottage cheese or parmesan may actually help you feel fuller longer, reducing the need for late-night snacking. (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

⚠️ The Not-So-Great News

Eating too much cheese (especially processed or full-fat types) has potential downsides:

1. High in saturated fats

   • Saturated fat intake is linked to higher LDL cholesterol, which may affect cardiovascular health.

   • While recent studies nuance this (not all saturated fats are created equal), moderation is still key.

2. Salt overload

   • Many cheeses—especially aged varieties like feta, cheddar, and blue—contain significant sodium, which can strain kidneys and elevate blood pressure.

3. May affect insulin sensitivity

   • Overconsumption of full-fat dairy might impact insulin response and glucose metabolism in some individuals, though results vary. (BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care)

4. Hormonal effects from excess dairy

   • A few studies suggest that dairy hormones (like IGF-1) might influence weight gain or acne in sensitive people—particularly teens and young adults.

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So... Should You Quit Cheese?

Not necessarily. Cheese isn’t a dream killer or a metabolic bomb—unless you overdo it or have a sensitivity.

Here’s what nutritionists generally recommend:

Tip	Why It Helps
🕘 Avoid cheese close to bedtime	Minimizes digestive sleep disruption
🧀 Opt for fermented cheeses	Better for gut health, often easier to digest
🥛 Choose dairy wisely	Prefer low-sodium, lower-fat, less processed versions
🧘‍♀️ Listen to your body	Notice patterns in sleep, skin, digestion, or energy after cheese-heavy meals

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Aged 15 to 45? Here’s What You Can Take Away:

• Teen or student? Your metabolism is fast, but dairy sensitivities often show up first in your 20s.

• Young adult? This is when hormonal acne or weight gain might be influenced by your cheese intake.

• In your 30s or 40s? Your digestion slows, so your gut response to dairy may change even if you handled it fine before.

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A Dream-Friendlier, Metabolism-Safer Cheese Strategy:

• ✔ Try goat cheese or sheep cheese if cow’s milk causes discomfort.

• ✔ Sprinkle cheese on meals—don’t make it the main course.

• ✔ Balance dairy with fiber-rich foods like greens or legumes to keep digestion smooth.

• ✔ And of course, hydrate! Cheese is dehydrating, especially the saltier kinds.

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TL;DR: Cheese Isn’t Evil—but Your Body May Have a Say

You don’t need to break up with cheese, just get to know it better.
If your late-night snacking is haunting your dreams—or your digestion—maybe it’s time to rethink your dairy game.

And hey—if you do dream about cheese... just hope it’s brie and not blue cheese chasing you. 🧀💭😱

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Let me know if you'd like this adapted for Instagram carousels, a blog format, or YouTube script style (e.g. for an explainer video). I can also generate an infographic or dream-friendly cheese chart!

How to manage overhead lighting in your workspace so that your eyes are not strained?

Overhead lighting plays a critical role in the overall ambiance and functionality of a workspace. However, when improperly managed, it can lead to eye strain, fatigue, and discomfort, ultimately reducing productivity. The right lighting design not only enhances visibility but also ensures a comfortable environment, fostering better concentration and long-term health. In this article, we will explore how to manage overhead lighting effectively to prevent eye strain, offering solutions that can be easily incorporated into any workspace, even when you don't have the freedom to modify the lighting fixtures themselves.

The Impact of Overhead Lighting on Eye Health

Eye strain, also known as asthenopia, occurs when the eyes become fatigued from prolonged use, particularly in poor lighting conditions. Symptoms can include dryness, headaches, blurred vision, and difficulty focusing. In the context of overhead lighting, several factors contribute to eye strain:

• Glare: Direct glare from overhead lights can cause discomfort and force the eyes to work harder to adjust. (americaneyecare.com)

• Uneven Lighting: If a workspace is poorly lit, the eyes may need to strain to compensate for the lack of illumination, leading to fatigue.

• Color Temperature: Harsh lighting with a high color temperature (cool or bluish light) can increase eye strain, while warmer lighting provides a more comfortable visual environment.

Understanding the Basics of Overhead Lighting

Before addressing ways to minimize eye strain, it is important to understand the key components of overhead lighting and their effects on your workspace. Overhead lighting can generally be categorized into three types:

• Ambient Lighting: This provides the general illumination needed to light up a space. It can be overhead recessed lights or ceiling-mounted fixtures. The goal is to create an evenly lit environment.

• Task Lighting: Focused lighting is used for specific tasks like reading, writing, or detailed work. Desk lamps are common examples.

• Accent Lighting: Decorative lighting that highlights certain areas or adds aesthetic value to the workspace.

For optimal eye health, a well-balanced combination of these lighting types is crucial. Ambient lighting should create a comfortable backdrop, while task lighting should help illuminate work areas without causing glare or shadows.

How to place a PC mouse on the table so that it does not strain your wrist?

The placement and usage of your PC mouse can significantly influence your wrist health and overall comfort during work or gaming. Prolonged use without proper positioning can lead to discomfort, repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), and even chronic conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. By understanding the science behind mouse ergonomics and adopting the correct placement strategies, you can protect your wrists and improve productivity.

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The Science of Wrist Strain and Mouse Usage

Using a mouse repeatedly over long periods exerts pressure on the tendons, ligaments, and the median nerve inside the wrist. These structures pass through the narrow carpal tunnel, and improper mouse placement can compress this area, leading to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research confirmed that excessive wrist extension or flexion increases tension in the tendons, causing inflammation and discomfort (source).

 Statistics on Computer-Related Injuries

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that musculoskeletal disorders account for nearly 30% of all workplace injuries, with wrist injuries being a significant contributor (source).
• A survey in Ergonomics International revealed that over 60% of computer users experience wrist discomfort, especially those working more than 6 hours daily.

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Different Ways to Place Your Mouse for Optimal Comfort

1. Traditional Horizontal Mouse Placement

This is the most common way people use their mouse. However, specific adjustments can enhance wrist health:

• Place the mouse directly beside the keyboard, ensuring you don’t have to reach out or twist your shoulder.
• Keep your wrist in a neutral position, neither bent upwards nor downwards.

For traditional placement, it’s crucial to combine it with wrist supports or ergonomic pads to minimize pressure on your wrist.

Research-Backed Insights:

A clinical study conducted by the University of Waterloo found that traditional mouse users who adopted neutral wrist positioning experienced a 25% reduction in forearm muscle strain compared to those with improper alignment (source).

Trying To Talk Yourself Out of Depression Does Not Always Work

The actual professionals and the self-acclaimed psychology experts have embedded an idea via articles, blogs, and social media posts that talking about mental health issues, particularly depression, is perhaps the first and many times, the last, step to reclaiming a life without feeling the daily blues. However, the truth couldn't be any different. For starters, people suffering from depression are often in jobs and family roles where they have to speak throughout the day. Many people with depression have a rather well-established circle of friends with whom they converse every day. People visiting the family psychologist might continue to have long conversations about redemption, loss, and unhappiness and still, might feel that the therapy is not really making an impact. People need to realize that you cannot talk your way out of depression, at least not in most situations. For way too long, the role of counseling sessions has been given the maximum importance as a way to treat someone suffering from clinical depression. However, counseling and confessions are more important to address the problem and to make someone realize that it is okay to feel like not waking up, eating, exercising, going to school, or being regular at the office. However, the same approach does not help if the goal is to overcome depression. Many people fail to realize this assuming that therapy and treatment are the same and the more people talk about depression, the easier it will be to defeat the problem. Talking about depression can make the person more conscious about the underlying problem but therapy is rather different and it might not include a lot of communication.

Yes Art Heals but you don't need to be an artist

So, I was getting started with my Sunday morning chores which these days are more about DIY repairs. This time around, it also included setting up two small plants in recycled glass bottles to be put up in the kitchen, near the big window. An hour or so later, I chanced upon the drawings that my 4.5-year-old girl drew. This is when I realized that what I was doing and what I was looking at were both forms of Art. To turn this into a question – what is art? Is it as fundamental as creating something in a very tangible and creative way? I believe so. The artist could be anyone. In this case, my girl turned the canvas into art, using her skills, and drew us, a family. There is nothing to gauge her performance here. Such art is pure and unadulterated. It does not need inspiration or reason like filling out the galleries for an upcoming art exhibition.

Literally, anything that occupies your senses into creating something using your skills and some tools amounts to doing art, creating art, and being artistic. And I have realized that there is something deep, at the neural level, that connects art with our mind. To be brutally honest, since completing middle school I hadn’t been even close to being artistic. However, around 2016, my wife inspired me to do small things. This included starting a balcony garden. Once the planters came in, so did the need to paint and refurbish potting vessels and recycle a few things to be used as substitute planters. As a result, the spray paint cans, colors, and paintbrushes returned to my life. There is some therapeutic, close to healing, as your brush applies the color to a surface. It has a profound effect on your mind, taking it away from the daily anxieties, fears, and tensions.  

I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it disconnects you from the world though that is what I hear about great artists and real content creators. Even when using paint spray cans, the mind pacifies itself as you watch the mist of colors coat a surface, turning blacks and greys into vivid reds and bright yellows. Overall, the little bit of academic, greenhorn-level art that I have been able to pursue via these humble attempts has proven to be medicinally effective. There is no pharmacology apart from the chemical formula that is at the heart of many painting mediums these days. There are no after-effects apart from some drops that have marked your home tees and shorts. But there is a lot to gain from the experience. Even if you need to think, overthink, and surgically dissect your thoughts, slowly scraping away the soil build-up around the corners of a small planter can be a very effective medium to concentrate. You will realize that while doing so, you breathe a lot slower, you are less irritated, and overall, you are able to think less or more but with greater clarity. The latest in this small journey has been returning to using crayons.

This might sound nerdy and oversold but as the crayons give away and a part of them is martyred on the paper, you feel more in the moment, and break away from the past or the future that might be overwhelming you. As you start filling in within the boundaries of different shapes and forms, called shading perhaps, the simplicity of the task helps you relax. Another thing that I plan to start doing soon with my daughter, and as a part of getting artistic, is more drawings using chalk—this is one frontier that challenges me in a very unexpected manner. For some reason, the logic and sentiments associated with painting, coloring, shading, scraping, and layering don’t seem to apply as much when the tool is a piece of chalk and the medium is a school’s blackboard…

Prozac works but why not try the un-chemical way to feel good?

This discussion is not about whether Prozac helps with anxiety. Yes, medicines like Prozac can help you control your anxiety levels but here, I am discussing some DIY methods that are not equally chemical, and don't make you chase around for a prescription. I have had issues with restoring my mental energy levels every time they get depleted with a few hectic days. Ever since I turned 25, a pattern emerged where after a couple of days of sustained physical and psychological work, my mind would go into a caffeinated mode, unable to wind down and as a result, my anxiety levels and the associated digestive symptoms would surface. The medicines I tried over the years to control this habit and its root cause helped to some extent but there is a catch to using them. No matter what the pharmaceutical world says, there is a downside to every drug out there, prescription or over-the-counter. Once you get into the habit of using mood boosters, or in my case, mood-sustaining salts, there is a big chance your body and mind stop evolving to help you navigate and manage different phases of your life, and some need you to be alert and calm. My continuous run-ins with these meds also helped me uncover some things that could boost the overall mood and energy levels. These mental health tips are not stolen from the web or blatantly rewritten to engage the search engines. This is from my cup of psychological wellness and I am sharing some of it with you:

Discussing my Coleus...the plant of Gods!

I will be adding images to this discussion soon but right now, my focus is on talking about the growing love for coleus. I chanced upon this plant last year. At that time, I did not understand the difference between foliage plants and flowering plants. Soon, along with my love for the plant, a bit of knowledge also seeped in. Within a few months, I realized that the coleus family is rather high on color combinations and bright, colored leaves but does not flower. Yes, sometimes you get some seed stalks but these are not really pretty. This is a means to create some seeds that can be preserved for restarting the pot after the winter has ravaged it.