According to the results of a new study, floral scent can trigger sweet dreams.

By analyzing the sleeping patterns of 15 women during 30 nights, a team of German researchers found that the smell of flowers leads to pleasant dreams.

After entering the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep, scents of roses and rotten eggs were pumped under the subjects’ noses for ten seconds. Afterwards, scientists woke them up and asked them to reveal the content of their dreams.

It seems that women who were exposed to the smell of roses had pleasant emotions, whereas those who were exposed to the bad smell of rotten eggs experienced the opposite while sleeping. In women who weren’t exposed to any of the scents, no difference was found.

Researchers now believe that the findings may show the way to aid people who suffer from nightmares. Their study has been presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meetin, which was held in Chicago.

Studies carried out in the past have shown that factors like sound, pressure of vibration have an impact on the dreams. As Dr Irshaad Ebrahim of The London Sleep Centre stated, "the relationship between external stimuli and dreaming is something we are all at some level aware of.”

"This initial research is a step in the direction towards clarifying these questions and may well lead to therapeutic benefits," the doctor added.