Can eating spicy foods such as very hot salsa really cause/make you more likely to have bad dreams or is that an old wives' tale?

It is possible: Depending on when spicy foods are consumed, it is possible to affect dreams. if consumed near bedtime (in fact consuming significant portions of most foods near bedtime) can affect dreams. this effect likely stems from physiological digestive processes and the influence of spicy food on the body. These physical changes can then be interpreted and integrated into dream cycles, sometimes negatively