In research that included 170 people who were asked to record their dreams, there was no difference in the overall number of dreams reported by males and females, but 30% of women reported a nightmare, compared to 19% of men, said BBC News. The study also found that women were much more likely to have dreams about very emotionally traumatic events, such as the loss of a loved one.

These results add to previous findings that pre-menstrual women report more vivid and disturbing dreams than men, said researcher Dr Jennifer Parker, a lecturer in psychology at the University of the West of England.

"In terms of processing emotional information, women may be more prone to taking unresolved concerns into their sleep life," she said. (HealthDay News, October 2008).