Why Do We Have Nightmares?

It turns out, where you live might play a big role.

Michelle Carr, a sleep expert from the University of Montreal, has noticed that people's dreams often reflect their surroundings.

Dreams Reflecting Surroundings

• Example: When she lived in Wales near the sea, many people had recurring dreams about:
• Falling into the ocean
• Dealing with storms

The Science of Dreams and Nightmares

In her book "Nightmare Obscura", Carr dives into the science of dreams and nightmares.

• Dream Engineering: People can try to control their dreams while they sleep.

Why Do We Have Nightmares?

• Frequent Nightmares: Can be upsetting.
• Occasional Bad Dreams: Might help us process tough experiences.
• It's like our brain's way of working through stuff.

The Importance of Dreams

• Sleep: Important for our health.
• Dreams and Nightmares: We're just starting to understand their role.

Future Understanding

Maybe one day, we'll know exactly why we have those weird dreams about:

• Flying
• Losing teeth

Final Thought

So next time you have a nightmare, remember it might just be your brain trying to sort things out.

And who knows, maybe you can even learn to control your dreams!