What you smell before you go to sleep at night could affect your dreams.

Specifically, sniffing something that smells good, such as fresh flowers or a fragrance you especially like, could make for pleasant dreams, according to a small study from researchers at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany.

The study: All Headline News reports that the researchers analyzed the sleep of 15 female volunteers for 30 nights. The women were exposed to high doses of scented air for 10 seconds before they were roused out of sleep one minute later.

The results: Those who were exposed to the scent of roses reported having more pleasant dreams than those who were exposed to the scent of rotten eggs or no scent at all.

The emotional tone of the dreams changed depending on the different smells. Although the scents did not affect the length of the dreams or their intensity, it is hoped the findings could help those who suffer from nightmares.

The research was presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting in Chicago.

--From the Editors at Netscape