Why Do We Have Nightmares?

Ever wondered why 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. For example, when she lived in Wales near the sea, many people had recurring dreams about falling into the ocean or dealing with storms. In her book "Nightmare Obscura, " Carr dives into the science of dreams and nightmares. She even talks about something called dream engineering, where people can try to control their dreams while they sleep. Pretty cool, right? But why do we have nightmares in the first place? Carr explains that while frequent nightmares can be upsetting, the occasional bad dream might actually help us process tough experiences. It's like our brain's way of working through stuff. We all know sleep is important for our health, but Carr says we're just starting to understand how dreams and nightmares fit into the picture. Maybe one day, we'll know exactly why we have those weird dreams about flying or losing teeth. 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!