Unraveling the science behind “detox dreams”

Going on a detox cleanses your body of various toxins and promotes weight loss. But if it’s your first time to go on a detox diet, you may experience “detox dreams,” a strange side effect that makes you have vivid dreams at night.

The benefits of detoxing

Going on detox or cleansing diets is good for your body. As long as you do it properly in a controlled and healthy environment, a holistic, natural detox can offer the following benefits:

• It removes toxins from your body. Toxins can affect your behavior, immune system, and metabolism. Certain toxins, like cancer-causing chemicals, environmental pollutants, heavy metals, industrial waste, pesticides, and preservatives, are also linked to various diseases.
• It prevents chronic disease. Environmental toxins are associated with some types of cancers, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions. While the human body naturally detoxes itself, these systems can also be overwhelmed. Detoxing helps your body eliminate toxins that can make you sick.
• It boosts immune system function. If your immune system is weakened, you become more susceptible to the common cold and the flu. Detoxing regularly strengthens your immunity so you can fight off infections.
• It promotes weight loss. Toxins can hinder your body’s natural ability to burn fat, which is essential for weight gain. Detoxing eliminates toxins stored in fat cells and boosts your metabolism.
• It improves quality of life. Like a machine full of gunk and debris, the body wouldn’t function well if it contained various toxins. Detoxifying  improves both your mental and physical health by addressing various concerns like depression, headaches, joint pain, or sleep problems.

What causes detox dreams?

Going on a cleanse improves your digestion and your sleeping habits. But in some cases, people experience detox dreams, which are characterized by very vivid dreams almost every night during the duration of the cleanse.

According to Dr. Frank Lipman, a class instructor who’s also the creator of a detox program, detox dreams are one of the common side effect of cleanses. Experts have yet to determine what exactly causes these dreams, but Lipman has several theories.

Detox dreams can be caused by various factors, such as:

• A change in diet.
• A change in gut flora.
• The detoxing process that your body is going through.
• The removal of stimulants that often disrupt sleep patterns, like coffee or energy drinks. (Related: How sleep habits affect weight goals: Survey reveals the ideal sleep schedule for shedding pounds.)

Dr. Will Cole, the author of “Ketotarian,” shared that some individuals experience these vivid dreams even if they’re undergoing different detox programs.

Cole also has his own theories for the strange symptoms some dieters go through. While studies have looked into the nightmares or vivid dreams experienced by individuals going through alcohol or drug withdrawal, there is limited research about changes in dreams caused by general detoxing.

Detox dreams are sometimes associated with certain factors like changes in blood sugar and other shifts in the body. It’s possible that changing your diet for a cleanse and supporting detoxification pathways can result in detox dreams.

While there’s no way of preventing these vivid dreams, they’re not really a serious problem that you should worry about. But if you’re planning on following a detox diet for the first time, it might be a good idea to have a soothing cup of tea before going to bed to help you fall asleep faster.

Just make sure you’re ready for intense dreams as your body adjusts to a different, but much healthier, lifestyle.

Sources include:

MindBodyGreen.com 1

MindBodyGreen.com 2