What Affects Your Dreams

I find myself dreaming like crazy sometimes, and then other times I can't remember dreaming anything. As I started digging deeper I discovered a lot of strange things can affect your dreams. 

MSN.com analyzed how our behavior affects our dreams, and here is some of what they found.

1. Smells: Apparently smelling flowers during certain parts of sleep will help you have good dreams. On the flip side, sulphur smells lead to nightmares!

2. Spicy Foods: Eating spicy foods before bed can lead to indigestion, which can lead to more tossing and turning during the night. The rule of thumb is that if you wake up within 5 minutes of having a dream, you're more likely to recall it. Caffeine can make you restless as well, so it's suggested that you cut out caffeine after 2 pm.

3. Sleeping on Your Stomach: Studies show that sleeping on your stomach leads to having sexual dreams.

4. Quitting Smoking: The majority of people who have recently kicked the habit report having more vivid dreams as a result. Researchers also found that 63% of former smokers are still dreaming about smoking a year after they've quit.

5. Pregnancy: Studies show that pregnant women have far more vivid dreams that the general public. (I know I found this to be true while I was pregnant with both of my children.) They say it's likely due to mixed emotions, lack of sleep, and hormones.

Sweet dreams!