Latest news with #ImperialCollege
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Human genetic code to be built from scratch
The human genetic code will be built from scratch by British scientists in a controversial new research project. The £10 million scheme to synthesise DNA is being funded by the Wellcome Trust and involves scientists from universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College. Since the human genome was decoded at the start of the century, researchers have questioned whether it might be possible to use the blueprint to create genes and chromosomes artificially. In the five year project, the team hopes to create a fully synthetic human chromosome - making up about 2 per cent of human DNA - as a proof of concept. Michael Dunn, director of discovery research at Wellcome, said: ' Our DNA determines who we are and how our bodies work. 'Through creating the necessary tools and methods to synthesise a human genome we will answer questions about our health and disease that we cannot even anticipate yet, in turn transforming our understanding of life and wellbeing.' Researchers say synthetic genomes could help create new cell-based therapies or engineer plant species with new properties, such as being able to withstand pests and warming climates. Synthetic genomes have already been developed for small organisms such as the sexually transmitted bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium and But the human genome is much more complicated. However, experts said it is crucial to make sure the technology is not abused and that regulations are put in place. 'You can only truly understand something if you can build it from scratch,' said Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, group leader of the Francis Crick Institute in London. 'It is critical when developing new technology to understand not just issues of potential utility, but also those concerned with safety and risk. 'If these were to ever be used in humans, it would be important to design them carefully so that they can't lead to tumours or produce novel infectious particles. 'Indeed, I would urge incorporating an inducible genetic kill switch to eliminate them from any location in the body or at least to make them easy for the immune system to find and destroy.' The Wellcome Trust said it was commissioning a separate project to look into the ethics and public opinion on the research. Dr Pat Thomas, director of the campaign group Beyond GM, told the BBC: 'We like to think that all scientists are there to do good, but the science can be repurposed to do harm and for warfare'.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
My world shattered when ‘kissing virus' left our son quadriplegic – every mum needs to know 4 rules to stop it spreading
YOU wouldn't think twice about kissing your kids, sharing food with them or perhaps putting their dummy in your mouth to clean it. But a mum is urging parents to be aware that this is in fact, NHS advice. Helen Harrison, 40, was excited to have her fourth child and first son, Alfie. But he was born disabled after she unknowingly caught a common virus that harms unborn babies, and yet, most parents or midwives have even heard of it. 7 Helen Harrison, 40, unknowingly caught cytomegalovirus (CMV) while pregnant Credit: supplied 7 The mum-of-four passed on the common virus to baby Alfie in the womb Credit: supplied 7 Severely disabled Alfie, now six, has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, limited vision and a learning disability due to the virus Credit: supplied Now six years old, severely disabled Alfie has Helen, of Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, says: 'He can't do anything for himself, and probably never will.' Helen feels she was 'let down' by the NHS, having never been told about Helen, married to Dan, 42, a construction firm boss, tells Sun Health: "I've never walked into a doctor's surgery and seen a poster about CMV saying, don't share your children's food or cutlery, or kiss them on the mouth. "It's the summer months, you wouldn't hesitate to let your child have a lick of your ice cream. "It makes me really cross that you're not warned about CMV. I just feel a bit let down.' It's thought health chiefs don't want to unnecessarily scare parents about a virus that is so common, so easily spread but for most, has little consequences. "Most babies with congenital CMV do not have any symptoms," the For some, like Alfie, the impact is life-limiting. Up to 4,000 babies are born with CMV every year, according to Dr Helen Payne, a leading CMV researcher at London's Imperial College and St Mary's Hospital. Of those, an estimated 800 have long-term consequences, such as deafness or learning disabilities, while 200 suffer as severely as Alfie. The signs of common virus that could be deadly to babies - and how to spot them in your tot Dr Payne says: "It's upsetting that a condition that is so widespread and profoundly affects some infants is barely known by the public, especially when there are actions that can be done to prevent infection." CMV is a common bug that usually has no symptoms, but for some, may cause the sniffles, a rash or temperature. Professor Hermione Lyall, Britain's leading clinical expert in CMV, based at St Mary's Hospital, says: 'Generally speaking, most of us have it as we grow up and grow older, but it never really does us any harm. 'It only really causes a problem if you are a baby in the womb and you haven't yet developed an immune system, or if you're somebody who's immunosuppressed.' The bug can be passed between people in close contact through bodily fluids, including saliva, urine and faeces. It can therefore spread when sharing cutlery, straws or dummies and from mouth-to-mouth contact, such as kissing. Pregnant women who work closely with children or already have a young family are more at risk of getting CMV, the NHS says. Official advice to pregnant women or those around expectant mums is to follow four important rules (scroll down for more information). 1. Wash hands with soap after changing nappies or wiping kids' noses 2. Avoid sharing food & drink with children, including glasses, straws & cutlery 3. Never put children's dummies in your own mouth 4. Kiss your children on the forehead, not the mouth 'Burst into tears' Prof Lyall says midwives don't receive extensive training on CMV. "We got hold of the main textbook for midwives, and there was about six lines on CMV, and it's not really correct or relevant to the modern world at all,' she says. 'Most people know about avoiding cat litter in pregnancy because you don't want to get toxoplasmosis, or about avoiding soft cheese because you don't want to get listeria. 'But the chances of getting either of these infections are absolutely minuscule, less than 20 cases a year, whereas there are up to 4,000 children a year born in the UK with CMV.' A former primary school teacher, Helen had a 'textbook pregnancy' before Alfie came along. 'He was born in my trousers at the front door of the hospital,' Helen recalls. A crash team rushed to the site and noticed Alfie had a pinprick rash all over his body. Worried about the shock of the freezing December weather, they whisked him away to the Special Care Baby Unit. At first, the doctors and nurses didn't seem too concerned. 7 Alfie cannot walk, stand or feed himself but his 'laughs and smiles' delight his devoted parents and sisters Credit: supplied 7 Helen feels 'let down' by the NHS, having never been told about the virus Credit: supplied But the following morning, when Alfie's father Dan arrived, the couple was ushered into a side room. It's just that total shock. I think I had that naïve belief that it would never happen to me They were told that a brain scan had revealed multiple abnormalities and Alfie's liver and spleen were enlarged. The news was devastating for the young couple. 'We burst into tears,' says Helen, who says they were not treated with compassion. A paediatrician allegedly told Dan: 'You need to sort yourself out and man up. Your wife needs you.' Helen says: 'They started asking lots of questions - what was the pregnancy like? Did I have any 'Did I follow the guidelines of what you should and shouldn't eat? I felt they were blaming me.' With no clear answers, the hospital contacted the specialist infectious diseases team at St Mary's Hospital, London , who recommended Alfie was tested for CMV. His viral load was then discovered to be 'sky high'. He was immediately given medication, which reduced the infection, but could not undo the damage to his brain. Helen says: 'It's just that total shock. I think I had that naïve belief that it would never happen to me.' Dr Payne says that the most dangerous time for a foetus is the first three months of pregnancy. But treating the mum can prevent the virus being transmitted to the baby. 'He laughs, he smiles' She is among experts calling for screening of all pregnant women, as is the case in parts of France, Spain and Greece, as well as in Ontario, The UK's National Screening Committee has to consider whether a screening programme for any condition is worthwhile - in this case, including whether it will cause alarm to parents. A screening programme for CVM was rejected in 2017 and 2022. The NSC is due to consider testing both mothers and babies for CMV this summer, with an announcement expected in the autumn. Dr Lyall says: 'There's competition from all kinds of things, such as screening for cancer, genetic diseases or metabolic diseases. 'The thing that is very tough for us is the fact that there's an intervention that can prevent the virus from going across and causing damage to a baby, and we're not able to offer that to women because we don't diagnose that the infection is there. "It's only the more severe babies that get picked up, because we're not screening for it, and so it's just not out there that this is something that people need to worry about in pregnancy." The experts are also calling for CMV to be included in the heel prick test given to every newborn baby in the UK at five days, so that those affected can be identified quickly. The charity That includes direct costs to the NHS and social services, workdays lost by parents plus the expense of therapies and equipment. Helen cares for Alfie full time, but would like to return to work in the special needs sector. I visit the family in their comfortable, detached home, and Alfie seems like a happy little boy. Dressed in a dinosaur T-shirt and leggings, he lies on a play mat surrounded by sensory toys, contentedly gurgling. Though he cannot speak, Helen says he is very communicative. Sometimes Dan and I wonder what Alfie would be like if he hadn't been affected by CMV, would he be running around, terrorizing his sisters? Helen 'He laughs, he smiles,' she says. 'He'll scream and shout if he's not happy. He hasn't got words, but he's definitely got his own voice. "If he's upset, then it takes a while to sort of soothe him. And you wish, God, I just wish he could just tell me what is wrong." Alfie can't eat solid foods, so doctors suggested a feeding peg that would deliver liquid food straight into his stomach via a tube. Helen was against the idea, unless Alfie were to stop thriving. 'We've worked so hard to keep him orally fed,' she says. 'He really enjoys flavoursome foods. Just last night, we were around at my parents' and he was given a spoonful of lemon meringue pie filling, and then he's immediately opening his mouth for the next spoonful. It's just such a joy. 'And it is a social thing as well to eat, so we just don't want him to lose that.' Alfie attends a special needs school where he loves interacting with other children. He is also adored by his older sisters Evie, 12, Millie, 10, and Chloe , eight. "Sometimes Dan and I wonder what Alfie would be like if he hadn't been affected by CMV, would he be running around, terrorizing his sisters?' says Helen. He will always carry the virus, but it is now inactive. In 2019, Helen and Dan did the Tough Mudder 15km obstacle course challenge to raise £5,000 for the charity CMV Action, and since then have raised more. But their main aim is to raise awareness, so that other children and families do not have to face the same heartache. Helen says: "I still do feel quite guilty, because at the end of the day I caught the virus. So what if I hadn't? If I hadn't caught that virus, Alfie would be your average child and wouldn't have to live such a challenging life. 'I don't think that guilt will ever go, I just try and bury it.' 7 Helen and husband Dan want to raise awareness, so that other children and families do not have to face the same heartache as they have Credit: supplied 7 Alfie is adored by his older sisters Evie, 12, Millie, 10, and Chloe, eight Credit: supplied WHAT MUMS SHOULD BE WARNED ADVICE from the NHS to pregnant women, or those trying for a baby: Wash hands using soap and water, especially after changing nappies or wiping your children's snotty noses. Avoid sharing food, e.g. do not finish your children's food. Do not share cutlery, straws or drinking glasses with your children Never put your children's dummies in your own mouth. Kiss your children on the forehead - avoid kissing them on the mouth Regularly wash toys or other items that may have young children's saliva or pee on them If you are unwell with an unexplained fever or rash during early pregnancy, ask your midwife or doctor for a test for CMV infection
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
My world shattered when ‘kissing virus' left our son quadriplegic – every mum needs to know 4 rules to stop it spreading
Helen Harrison passed a virus to her son in the womb... but by the time she was told about it, it was too late - Alfie had irreversible brain damage MUMS BEWARE My world shattered when 'kissing virus' left our son quadriplegic – every mum needs to know 4 rules to stop it spreading Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) YOU wouldn't think twice about kissing your kids, sharing food with them or perhaps putting their dummy in your mouth to clean it. But a mum is urging parents to be aware that this is in fact, NHS advice. Helen Harrison, 40, was excited to have her fourth child and first son, Alfie. But he was born disabled after she unknowingly caught a common virus that harms unborn babies, and yet, most parents or midwives have even heard of it. 7 Helen Harrison, 40, unknowingly caught cytomegalovirus (CMV) while pregnant Credit: supplied 7 The mum-of-four passed on the common virus to baby Alfie in the womb Credit: supplied 7 Severely disabled Alfie, now six, has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, limited vision and a learning disability due to the virus Credit: supplied Now six years old, severely disabled Alfie has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, limited vision and a learning disability. He cannot walk, stand or feed himself, and is still in nappies. Helen, of Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, says: 'He can't do anything for himself, and probably never will.' Helen feels she was 'let down' by the NHS, having never been told about cytomegalovirus (CMV) while pregnant, passing it on to Alfie in the womb. Helen, married to Dan, 42, a construction firm boss, tells Sun Health: "I've never walked into a doctor's surgery and seen a poster about CMV saying, don't share your children's food or cutlery, or kiss them on the mouth. "It's the summer months, you wouldn't hesitate to let your child have a lick of your ice cream. "It makes me really cross that you're not warned about CMV. I just feel a bit let down.' It's thought health chiefs don't want to unnecessarily scare parents about a virus that is so common, so easily spread but for most, has little consequences. "Most babies with congenital CMV do not have any symptoms," the NHS website says. But it adds it can 'sometimes' cause problems - ranging from a rash to seizures and problems with the liver. For some, like Alfie, the impact is life-limiting. Up to 4,000 babies are born with CMV every year, according to Dr Helen Payne, a leading CMV researcher at London's Imperial College and St Mary's Hospital. Of those, an estimated 800 have long-term consequences, such as deafness or learning disabilities, while 200 suffer as severely as Alfie. The signs of common virus that could be deadly to babies - and how to spot them in your tot Dr Payne says: "It's upsetting that a condition that is so widespread and profoundly affects some infants is barely known by the public, especially when there are actions that can be done to prevent infection." CMV is a common bug that usually has no symptoms, but for some, may cause the sniffles, a rash or temperature. Professor Hermione Lyall, Britain's leading clinical expert in CMV, based at St Mary's Hospital, says: 'Generally speaking, most of us have it as we grow up and grow older, but it never really does us any harm. 'It only really causes a problem if you are a baby in the womb and you haven't yet developed an immune system, or if you're somebody who's immunosuppressed.' The bug can be passed between people in close contact through bodily fluids, including saliva, urine and faeces. It can therefore spread when sharing cutlery, straws or dummies and from mouth-to-mouth contact, such as kissing. Pregnant women who work closely with children or already have a young family are more at risk of getting CMV, the NHS says. Official advice to pregnant women or those around expectant mums is to follow four important rules (scroll down for more information). 1. Wash hands with soap after changing nappies or wiping kids' noses 2. Avoid sharing food & drink with children, including glasses, straws & cutlery 3. Never put children's dummies in your own mouth 4. Kiss your children on the forehead, not the mouth 'Burst into tears' Prof Lyall says midwives don't receive extensive training on CMV. "We got hold of the main textbook for midwives, and there was about six lines on CMV, and it's not really correct or relevant to the modern world at all,' she says. 'Most people know about avoiding cat litter in pregnancy because you don't want to get toxoplasmosis, or about avoiding soft cheese because you don't want to get listeria. 'But the chances of getting either of these infections are absolutely minuscule, less than 20 cases a year, whereas there are up to 4,000 children a year born in the UK with CMV.' A former primary school teacher, Helen had a 'textbook pregnancy' before Alfie came along. 'He was born in my trousers at the front door of the hospital,' Helen recalls. A crash team rushed to the site and noticed Alfie had a pinprick rash all over his body. Worried about the shock of the freezing December weather, they whisked him away to the Special Care Baby Unit. At first, the doctors and nurses didn't seem too concerned. 7 Alfie cannot walk, stand or feed himself but his 'laughs and smiles' delight his devoted parents and sisters Credit: supplied 7 Helen feels 'let down' by the NHS, having never been told about the virus Credit: supplied But the following morning, when Alfie's father Dan arrived, the couple was ushered into a side room. It's just that total shock. I think I had that naïve belief that it would never happen to me They were told that a brain scan had revealed multiple abnormalities and Alfie's liver and spleen were enlarged. The news was devastating for the young couple. 'We burst into tears,' says Helen, who says they were not treated with compassion. A paediatrician allegedly told Dan: 'You need to sort yourself out and man up. Your wife needs you.' Helen says: 'They started asking lots of questions - what was the pregnancy like? Did I have any food poisoning? 'Did I follow the guidelines of what you should and shouldn't eat? I felt they were blaming me.' With no clear answers, the hospital contacted the specialist infectious diseases team at St Mary's Hospital, London, who recommended Alfie was tested for CMV. His viral load was then discovered to be 'sky high'. He was immediately given medication, which reduced the infection, but could not undo the damage to his brain. Helen says: 'It's just that total shock. I think I had that naïve belief that it would never happen to me.' Dr Payne says that the most dangerous time for a foetus is the first three months of pregnancy. But treating the mum can prevent the virus being transmitted to the baby. 'He laughs, he smiles' She is among experts calling for screening of all pregnant women, as is the case in parts of France, Spain and Greece, as well as in Ontario, Minnesota and New York State. The UK's National Screening Committee has to consider whether a screening programme for any condition is worthwhile - in this case, including whether it will cause alarm to parents. A screening programme for CVM was rejected in 2017 and 2022. The NSC is due to consider testing both mothers and babies for CMV this summer, with an announcement expected in the autumn. Dr Lyall says: 'There's competition from all kinds of things, such as screening for cancer, genetic diseases or metabolic diseases. 'The thing that is very tough for us is the fact that there's an intervention that can prevent the virus from going across and causing damage to a baby, and we're not able to offer that to women because we don't diagnose that the infection is there. "It's only the more severe babies that get picked up, because we're not screening for it, and so it's just not out there that this is something that people need to worry about in pregnancy." The experts are also calling for CMV to be included in the heel prick test given to every newborn baby in the UK at five days, so that those affected can be identified quickly. The charity Action on CMV estimates that the cost of caring for UK children born with the virus is over £750 million every year. That includes direct costs to the NHS and social services, workdays lost by parents plus the expense of therapies and equipment. Helen cares for Alfie full time, but would like to return to work in the special needs sector. I visit the family in their comfortable, detached home, and Alfie seems like a happy little boy. Dressed in a dinosaur T-shirt and leggings, he lies on a play mat surrounded by sensory toys, contentedly gurgling. Though he cannot speak, Helen says he is very communicative. Sometimes Dan and I wonder what Alfie would be like if he hadn't been affected by CMV, would he be running around, terrorizing his sisters? Helen 'He laughs, he smiles,' she says. 'He'll scream and shout if he's not happy. He hasn't got words, but he's definitely got his own voice. "If he's upset, then it takes a while to sort of soothe him. And you wish, God, I just wish he could just tell me what is wrong." Alfie can't eat solid foods, so doctors suggested a feeding peg that would deliver liquid food straight into his stomach via a tube. Helen was against the idea, unless Alfie were to stop thriving. 'We've worked so hard to keep him orally fed,' she says. 'He really enjoys flavoursome foods. Just last night, we were around at my parents' and he was given a spoonful of lemon meringue pie filling, and then he's immediately opening his mouth for the next spoonful. It's just such a joy. 'And it is a social thing as well to eat, so we just don't want him to lose that.' Alfie attends a special needs school where he loves interacting with other children. He is also adored by his older sisters Evie, 12, Millie, 10, and Chloe, eight. "Sometimes Dan and I wonder what Alfie would be like if he hadn't been affected by CMV, would he be running around, terrorizing his sisters?' says Helen. He will always carry the virus, but it is now inactive. In 2019, Helen and Dan did the Tough Mudder 15km obstacle course challenge to raise £5,000 for the charity CMV Action, and since then have raised more. But their main aim is to raise awareness, so that other children and families do not have to face the same heartache. Helen says: "I still do feel quite guilty, because at the end of the day I caught the virus. So what if I hadn't? If I hadn't caught that virus, Alfie would be your average child and wouldn't have to live such a challenging life. 'I don't think that guilt will ever go, I just try and bury it.' 7 Helen and husband Dan want to raise awareness, so that other children and families do not have to face the same heartache as they have Credit: supplied 7 Alfie is adored by his older sisters Evie, 12, Millie, 10, and Chloe, eight Credit: supplied
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Why studying at MIT gives you an unbeatable edge in the job market
MIT tops QS World Rankings 2026 as Imperial College secures second place. (Getty Images) When it comes to employability, few institutions in the world stand shoulder to shoulder with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In the QS World University Rankings 2026, MIT clinched a flawless overall score of 100, reflecting unmatched excellence across every major metric—from academic reputation and research output to graduate employability and global engagement. But what truly sets MIT apart is not merely its rank; it is the institution's ability to transform students into high-impact professionals, innovators, and leaders across the world's most competitive industries. MIT in QS World University Rankings 2026: Key indicators at a glance Here are the detailed key indicators for overall rankings and other major criteria: Category Metric Score Overall Ranking Rank 1 Overall Score 100 Research & Discovery Citations per Faculty 100 Academic Reputation 100 Learning Experience Faculty Student Ratio 100 Employability Employer Reputation 100 Employment Outcomes 100 Global Engagement International Student Ratio 91.6 International Research Network 94.1 International Faculty Ratio 100 International Student Diversity 92.3 Sustainability Sustainability Score 93.8 Employability: The MIT edge MIT has earned a perfect score of 100 in both Employer Reputation and Employment Outcomes—a rare feat even among elite global universities. These scores indicate far more than prestige; they reflect deep-rooted trust that employers place in MIT graduates. Whether it's Google, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, NASA, or pioneering start-ups, MIT alumni consistently land roles at the forefront of their fields. According to industry experts, employers see an 'MIT hire' as synonymous with analytical precision, technical prowess, and a solution-oriented mindset. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Behind these numbers lies a robust ecosystem: a career development office that actively connects students to leading firms, industry-faculty research collaborations, and a vast global alumni network that supports graduates at every turn. Learning that translates to earning An institution's teaching quality is central to employability, and MIT shines here as well. With a Faculty-Student Ratio score of 100, the university guarantees personalised, intensive mentorship. The learning model isn't just about lectures and labs—it's about problem-solving with real-world applications. From the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program to the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), students gain hands-on experience that mirrors industry expectations. The classroom is merely a launchpad—MIT's pedagogy encourages students to iterate, innovate, and implement. This experiential approach makes graduates not just job-ready, but job-defining. Academic and research firepower MIT's academic reputation and citations per faculty scores both stand at 100, showcasing its standing as a global epicentre of knowledge creation. Faculty members aren't just educators—they're Nobel laureates, field-changing researchers, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. But what makes MIT's academic culture particularly potent is its interdisciplinary fluidity. Engineering melds with economics, biology intertwines with computer science, and artificial intelligence meets public policy—training students to think beyond silos and address the world's thorniest problems holistically. For employers navigating complex global challenges, this ability to think across domains is invaluable. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
From ageing faster to early death, how nightmares really affect you according to a dream expert
Waking up in a cold sweat, with your heart pounding and your thoughts racing can be an unsettling experience. Anyone that has experienced regular nightmares will know that a night of bad dreams can rattle you for hours after you wake, leaving an eerie feeling that lingers well into the next day. But it's not just your breakfast that a chaotic dream episode might ruin, as a major study has now linked a higher frequency of nightmares to faster biological ageing and earlier death in humans. New findings from scientists at London's Imperial College reveal that adults who report weekly nightmares are more than three times likely to die before the age of 70, compared to those who rarely or never experience them. As unpleasant as bad dreams can be, leading dream psychologist Ian Wallace believes that nightmares are nothing for us to fear. In fact, he reckons they hold vital clues to our deepest emotional states, allowing us to pinpoint anxieties and stresses in our waking life that we need to resolve. We all know that dreaming about contentedly lazing on a desert island feels vastly different from being chased by a predator on the loose, but Wallace says that dreams and nightmares are cut from the same cerebral cloth. "The reality is that a nightmare is still a dream. It's still part of the dreaming process, but it tends to be more vivid, intense, scary and emotional," he explains. "The fundamental reason why we dream, neurologically speaking, is to process emotions. So if you are experiencing powerful, unresolved emotions in waking life, then you will typically generate more nightmares," he adds. "People think that nightmares are happening to them, but in reality, you happen to the dream – and you create everything that you experience in it. In this way, a nightmare is just a sign of a powerful emotion that you are experiencing in waking life, that your brain is trying to resolve." Ongoing chronic stress in waking life is one of the most common triggers for night terrors, but there are other factors at play too. "Poor sleep quality is another key culprit," Wallace notes. "People often go on holiday and experience lots of nightmares, and that's usually because their brains are adjusting to a different time zone. They might also be drinking more alcohol, which can further disrupt sleep rhythms during the night." If you often nod off on your commute and wake up in a panic, there's a reason why shorter naps can be more nightmarish than a lengthy sleep in bed. "When we take a brief nap, we experience these things called 'hypnogogic hallucinations', which is when dream imagery comes into our mind, but we're not yet processing it in dream sleep," Wallace explains. "Those can be quite unsettling and a bit nightmarish feeling, as we're essentially not tipping over into a deeper type of rest.' Existing unresolved trauma, substance abuse and certain medications, such as antidepressants and beta-blockers, can also trigger a higher frequency of nightmares. Wallace says it's not cheese itself, but instead the effect certain foods can have on the body that can cause strange dreams and nightmares. "The more digestible a food, the more relaxed your body will be when you are asleep," he explains. "Like most other fatty foods, cheese takes quite a bit of effort to digest so it causes our sleep to be restless, making us more likely to drift in and out of wakefulness. "This makes us far more aware of our dream content and, because our body isn't fully relaxed, our dream content is often less than relaxing as well. Other foods, such as hot curries or anything particularly spicy, can also cause similar levels of restlessness, as will any heavy meal eaten just before you go to sleep." Not according to Wallace. He sees nightmares as a symptom of chronic stress, rather than the cause. "If you have unresolved emotions or you're physically tense in some way, then I would imagine that could lead to acceleration in the ageing process, as found in the new research from Imperial College," he notes. As studies have previously revealed, chronic stress can have a seriously negative effect on our health, leading to high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, digestive problems and depression. "But this is why nightmares can actually be useful experiences," Wallace remarks, "as they're your brain alerting you to the fact you're stressed and that you need to take action to resolve it. "What people always say about nightmares is that they feel out of control," he continues. "And if you're in a place where you can't manage your emotions in waking life, you're likely to feel that same helplessness in dreams." Psychologists like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung have long theorised that the symbols in our dreams hold deeper meaning, but Wallace suggests we should analyse them with more of an abstract lens. "People tend to take dream imagery quite literally, but because it's imaginal, it's more like an analogy for something in waking life," he notes. Dreaming about death doesn't mean someone will die. Instead, Wallace says, it often symbolises an ending of one way of life and the start of a new one. "The death in your dream indicates that an aspect of your life that no longer serves you is being transformed in some way," he explains. "This transformation is often the result of a major change in your waking life where you have the opportunity to let go of old habits and welcome new ways of doing things into your life." He says a death dream is "reassuring" as you are reaching the end of a particular period of activity in your life. "By releasing yourself from your past, you have the freedom to step into a new future," he adds. Take nightmares about intruders, for instance. "If you dream about someone breaking into your house, you're not necessarily dreaming about a real break-in," Wallace says. "In dream language, the house often symbolises the self, because, just like us, it has an inside and an outside." Burglars or attackers in this context can represent internalised fear or emotional violation. "Dreaming of someone entering your home could reflect a sense of being emotionally intruded upon or feeling that your boundaries are being crossed in real life," explains Wallace. Being chased is another common scenario that tends to plague our sleep, he says. "If you're having a nightmare where you're being followed, it usually means there's something you're pursuing in waking life, like an ambition, a goal, something you're striving for. And the figure chasing you symbolises the challenge or pressure you're personally feeling in that pursuit." Finally, the classic nightmare scenario of your teeth falling out might not necessarily mean you've been neglecting the dentist. "In waking life, you tend to show your teeth in two key situations: when you're smiling and feeling confident, or when you're being assertive, like a snarl," Wallace says. "So teeth in dreams often represent personal power and confidence. "When people describe this dream, they often say their teeth are 'crumbling', and that's the same language we use when confidence starts to collapse," he elaborates. "So, dreaming your teeth are falling out could reflect a fear of losing your ability to 'chew over' or handle a situation." Read more about dreams: Dreams more vivid than usual right now? Here's why, and what they could mean (Yahoo Life UK, 8-min read) 12 common dreams and what they could mean, according to experts (Yahoo News UK, 5-min read) Dreaming about your ex? Sleep expert explains what it really means (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
