Cajuns Dream Differently Than People Who Aren’t From Here

Cajuns dream different than people who aren't from this area.  Is it because our brains are wired differently? Not at all.  It's because of what we eat right before bed.  There is some evidence that eating a spicy meal shortly before going to sleep can lead to really weird dreams and nightmares.

A study looked at how what you eat- and when- affects your dreams. The majority of dreaming happens during the rapid eye movement, or REM, stage of the sleep cycle, which occurs about every 90 minutes. Since the brain is active during REM sleep, this is when nightmares happen. In general, eating anything too close to bedtime can cause more dreaming because it heightens your metabolism, leading to increased brain activity.

Experts say it’s possible certain heavy or spicy foods could trigger particularly strange or scary dreams, since digesting them can interfere with the sleep cycle.  So the next time you dream you're being eaten alive by a boudin ball, it may be because you ate something spicy before turning in.

[Via:  NBC]