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You probably know someone who’s afraid of spiders, small spaces, or public speaking — maybe it’s even yourself. Those fears are relatively common, and likely to make people squirm at least a little. A phobia, however, goes well beyond ordinary discomfort; rather, it’s an extreme fear of a particular object or situation.

About 10% of the U.S. population has a specific phobia, and common culprits include snakes, heights, germs, and needles. There are some fears, however, that are much more surprising. Here are seven unusual phobias you’ve probably never heard of.

Koumpounophobia: Fear of Buttons

If you find yourself reaching for a zippered sweater instead of a button-up shirt or  buttoned cardigan out of terror, you may have koumpounophobia — aka the fear of buttons, particularly on clothing. Koumpounophobia can indeed cause quite a bit of distress beyond simply preferring clothing or objects without buttons: People report feeling discomfort, anxiety, or even downright disgust when seeing, touching, or wearing clothing with buttons.

The fear is thought to stem from childhood experiences. One documented case of an extreme button phobia points to an incident in which a young boy experienced embarrassment after slipping and spilling a bowl of buttons during a kindergarten art lesson; another regards a woman who was repeatedly warned against putting buttons in her mouth when she was a child for fear of choking.

In 2007, the Wall Street Journal published a story about Apple co-founder CEO Steve Job’s dislike of buttons, hinting that his peculiar aversion was the reason he wore his famous black turtlenecks and may even have led to the revolutionary iPhone touchscreen as a replacement for tactile buttons.

Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of Peanut Butter Sticking to the Roof of Your Mouth

Peanut butter is a pantry staple in many homes, but for some people, it’s a source of genuine distress (and not just because of nut allergies). Arachibutyrophobia is a fear not just of peanut butter itself, but specifically of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. 

The cause of arachibutyrophobia isn’t clear: Most phobias are thought to stem from a combination of past negative experiences, genetics, anxiety, and/or the way the brain processes fear. Since arachibutyrophobia is based more so on the sensation itself — the feeling of being unable to swallow or breathe properly — it’s thought to originate from a past episode of choking or a moment of panic while eating. 

Arachibutyrophobia’s introduction into general culture is often attributed to lexicographer Robert Hendrickson, who included it in the 1975 People’s Almanac, a reference book for curious facts. It also appeared in a 1982 Peanuts comic strip in which Sally Brown can be seen reading a school report about the phobia. 

Turophobia: Fear of Cheese

Lactose intolerance is an obvious explanation for some people avoiding cheese. Less common, however, is turophobia, an extreme fear of cheese that can result in reactions as severe as nausea, trouble breathing, and lightheadedness brought on by the mere sight or smell of the food. In some cases, the aversion can even extend to other white, creamy substances that resemble the dairy staple. 

In one documented case of turophobia, Atlantic magazine editor Scott Stossel explained the origin of his fear to USA Today. He described a childhood scene in which his sister ate a piece of cheese off the floor at an airport. In addition to being reprimanded by their mother, she came down with a stomach virus, and Stossel believes this kickstarted his cheese phobia; he hasn’t been able to stomach or even touch the stuff since. 

Chromophobia: Fear of Colors

A pop of color can brighten a room or even your mood, but for someone with chromophobia, it can trigger real anxiety. This fear typically centers around a single shade or a few bright colors, but some people react to just about every bold hue. There are even specific phobia names for specific colors: chrysophobia for orange or gold, cyanophobia for blue, rhodophobia for pink, and xanthophobia for yellow, to name a few. 

In his book Chromophobia, author David Batchelor describes the fear as a larger cultural unease with color. He argues that, throughout Western history, color has often been dismissed as excessive or superficial, decorative rather than substantive; sculptors and architects, for example, have often opted for more minimalistic neutral hues instead. 

Batchelor doesn’t suggest those traditions have directly created phobias, but it could help explain why intense hues can cause discomfort — something fans of the millennial gray aesthetic most likely wouldn’t argue with. 

Erythrophobia: Fear of Blushing

If you’ve ever experienced the sensation of blushing, you’ll know it can  cause you to feel self-conscious. The involuntary bodily response is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, but for those with erythrophobia, blushing is a source of intense anxiety. 

The fear of your cheeks and face turning red in public can make ordinary interactions feel impossible to navigate, and as a result, people with erythrophobia may avoid social interactions altogether. Research suggests that people who regularly focus closely on themselves are more likely to fear blushing and be prone to it — a cruel bit of irony, since the more you worry about turning red, the more likely it is to happen.

Lachanophobia: Fear of Vegetables

It’s not uncommon to dislike certain vegetables — especially for kids — but to people with lachanophobia, the sight, smell, or texture of the foods triggers a distinct sense of disgust and dread. 

For some, the fear is tied to where vegetables come from: They’re grown in soil and therefore exposed to insects or contamination. In other cases, the reaction is to specific types of vegetables. Mycophobia, for example, is the fear of mushrooms, which is most often linked to concerns about their potential toxicity.

One documented case of lachanophobia involved a 22-year-old university student from Portsmouth, England, whose fear of vegetables caused her to have panic attacks. Like other specific phobias, lachanophobia is often treated through gradual exposure or anxiety management.

Phobophobia: Fear of Fear

In his inaugural address in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Though his intention was to give the U.S. courage in the midst of the Great Depression, he also inadvertently mentioned phobophobia: the fear of fear itself, a meta type of anxiety. 

People with phobophobia may be frightened about experiencing the physical sensations that come with fear, such as sweaty palms or shortness of breath, or they may worry about the lasting harm those symptoms may cause. Chronic stress, for instance, can contribute to high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. 

Others feel an intense fear regarding the possibility of developing other specific phobias. By anticipating their own anxiety, they create more of it, creating a feedback loop known as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Phobias aren’t always based in logic, but that doesn’t make the scared feeling any less real. The good news is that with the right support, people can often learn to manage their symptoms and navigate daily life without being ruled by their fear.

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If you’ve ever woken up to find the kitchen lights inexplicably on or been told you held a full conversation in the middle of the night with no memory of it, you’re not alone. Sleepwalking — also known as somnambulism — has fascinated and frightened people for generations. 

To anyone watching, this phenomenon can seem unsettling or even supernatural. But sleepwalking is simply a glitch in the brain’s normal sleep controls. Even at rest, the brain manages multiple systems at once. Every so often those systems fall slightly out of sync, and the body takes a nighttime stroll while the mind remains deeply asleep.

Although it’s most common in children, sleepwalking can happen at any age. Researchers have spent decades trying to understand why the sleeping brain sometimes allows the body to move around without conscious awareness. The answer lies in how sleep works, how the brain transitions between stages, and what can interrupt those transitions in subtle ways.

It Happens During Deep Sleep

Many people assume sleepwalking is caused by acting out dreams, but sleepwalking occurs during non-REM sleep, the deepest and most restorative phase of the sleep cycle, usually within the first couple of hours after falling asleep. Most of your dreaming, especially your vivid, narrative-driven dreams, take place during REM sleep.

In non-REM sleep, brain waves slow dramatically. The body is meant to be still, breathing is steady, and awareness of the outside world is almost completely shut down. The brain uses that time to repair tissues, consolidate memory, and restore energy.

Sleepwalking happens when the brain partially wakes from this deep state but doesn’t fully transition into alertness. The motor centers switch “on” before the thinking and reasoning parts of the brain catch up. As a result, a person can move, walk, or perform routine actions without conscious control.

The Brain Is Stuck Between Sleep and Wakefulness

Scientists describe sleepwalking as a disorder of arousal; the brain attempts to wake but gets trapped halfway. The parts responsible for movement become active while the areas governing judgment, awareness, and memory remain asleep. That explains both the wandering behavior and why sleepwalkers almost never remember what happened during their sleepwalking episodes — the brain never fully “records” the event.

Brain imaging shows that during episodes, the frontal lobe (the areas that manage decision-making and self-control) remain largely inactive. Meanwhile, deeper brain regions tied to habit and motion are active enough to get the body moving. It’s like a computer booting only halfway: The system is running, but critical controls haven’t loaded.

Because the conscious brain is still offline, trying to wake a sleepwalker suddenly can be confusing or even startling for them. They may look disoriented or frightened because their frontal lobe is being abruptly activated, forcing the brain into wakefulness before its decision-making and self-control systems have fully come online.

Genetics Plays a Role

Sleepwalking often runs (or walks?) in families. If one parent has a history of sleepwalking, their child is far more likely to do so. If both parents have a history, the odds increase even more dramatically. 

Researchers believe certain inherited traits affect how easily the brain shifts between sleep stages. Some people, for example, simply have a higher threshold for waking: their brains resist full arousal, which makes partial awakenings more likely. Instead of fully waking or staying asleep, they drift into that curious middle ground.

Genetics also affects how deeply a person sleeps. Those prone to sleepwalking tend to spend more time in slow-wave sleep — the stage where episodes originate. For many sleepwalkers, this tendency is built right into their neurological wiring.

Certain Triggers Can Spark Episodes

Even in people who are genetically predisposed, sleepwalking usually needs a trigger. Anything that disrupts deep sleep or causes sudden arousal can increase the chances of an episode. Common triggers include sleep deprivation, stress, anxiety, fever or illness, irregular sleep schedules, certain medications, alcohol before bed, or sleep disturbances.

When the brain is pushed into deeper-than-normal sleep — often after exhaustion — it can struggle to wake cleanly. Instead, it can misfire and activate the body while awareness lags behind. 

Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea can also increase episodes of sleepwalking. Repeated interruptions in breathing jolt the brain out of deep sleep again and again, creating more opportunities for incomplete awakenings.

Sleepwalking Is Common — And Usually Benign

About one in three children will sleepwalk at least once, and most outgrow it as the brain matures and sleep patterns become more stable. It’s less common in adults, though it still affects millions worldwide. Many episodes are mild — sitting up, mumbling, or briefly wandering — though some people are able to carry out surprisingly complex behaviors.

Sleepwalking is part of a larger group of sleep-related behaviors called parasomnias, conditions in which elements of sleep and wakefulness overlap. Non-REM parasomnias include talking in your sleep, night terrors, and confusional arousals (brief partial awakenings from deep sleep in which a person appears awake but feels confused or disoriented before falling back to sleep).

Nightmares are also classified as parasomnias, though they occur during REM sleep and involve vivid dreaming rather than physical movement. Together, those disorders show how the brain can become active in unusual ways while the body is still technically asleep.

Occasional sleepwalking is usually harmless and demonstrates how complex sleep really is. So if you’ve ever found signs of a nighttime adventure you can’t recall, it typically isn’t something to fear. It’s simply the brain at work, juggling rest, repair, and awareness — and sometimes those systems can fall slightly out of sync.

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Think about the last time you stepped outside on a cold winter morning. You may have noticed the air smelled different: crisp, clean, even invigorating — though you couldn’t put your finger on why. It’s not your imagination; across climates and continents, people experience winter air as feeling and smelling fresher than at any other time of year.

But what makes cold air smell good? Is it the snow, the pine trees, or something intangible in the air itself? Scientists say it’s a combination of factors, relating the world’s natural rhythms as well as the inner workings of the human brain.

There’s Less To Smell

One of the primary reasons winter air smells so good is that there’s simply fewer aromas competing for your attention. Warm air holds more moisture, and that moisture helps carry smells. In summer, heat and humidity intensify odors from soil, plants, pavement, garbage, and pollution, creating a thick mix of scents — some pleasant and many less so.

Cold air, however, behaves differently. As temperatures drop, the tiny airborne molecules responsible for smell — called volatile organic compounds — move more slowly and evaporate less easily. Fewer of those odor molecules are released into the air from sources such as plants, soil, or decaying organic matter.

Wintry air is also usually drier, especially after a freeze. Without humidity to help transport odors, many everyday smells fade into the background. Pollen disappears, plant growth slows, and bacteria that cause decay become less active. 

The result isn’t that winter air smells like anything especially good — more accurately, it smells like less. And our brains tend to interpret that absence of competing smells as clean and fresh.

Cold Air Sharpens the Senses

Cold weather changes not only the air but also how your body experiences it. When you inhale cold air, nerve endings inside your nose react to the temperature, which you perceive as a sharp, tingling sensation. That response comes partly from a nerve system that detects cold and irritation — the same system that makes mint or menthol feel refreshing.

At the same time, cold, dry air can slightly reduce the sensitivity of your smell receptors, the specialized cells that detect odors, meaning fewer smells register as strongly. But rather than dulling the sensation, this often has the opposite effect: With fewer odors coming in, each inhale feels clearer and more distinct.

The contrast also matters. Stepping from a warm indoor space into cold outdoor air creates an immediate sensory shift, prompting your brain to pay closer attention. Even if there’s less to smell, the physical sensation of cold air makes the experience feel sharper and more vivid.

You’re Not Smelling Snow

 Many people, including beloved TV character Lorelai Gilmore, swear they can smell snow before it falls. But while winter may have a unique fragrance, snow is just frozen freshwater and therefore has no odor. 

Those people are simply sensing the atmospheric changes that often precede snowfall. Humidity tends to rise, air pressure drops, and existing scents — trees, soil, distant wood smoke — can become more noticeable.

Cold air is also denser, allowing smells to linger longer and travel farther without dispersing as quickly. Over time, some people learn to associate that specific mix of cold, moisture, and stillness with approaching snow. So if you think you can smell an impending snowstorm, it’s not the snowflakes you’re smelling — it’s your brain recognizing a familiar winter pattern.

Winter Chemistry at Work

 Even in winter, plants continue to influence the way the air smells. Evergreen trees including pine, fir, and spruce produce aromatic compounds known as terpenes, which give the trees their characteristic scents and can be noticeable even in cold weather. In winter, with many deciduous plants dormant, those evergreen aromas stand out more clearly against a backdrop of muted seasonal smells.

Lower temperatures also suppress biological activity such as microbial decomposition, which otherwise releases musty, earthy odors, leaving relatively fewer unpleasant natural scents in the air. In some cases, subtle chemical reactions in the snow, soil, or frozen plants can even generate new, faint aromas unique to winter landscapes.

Cold Doesn’t = Clean

Winter air may smell fresh, but that doesn’t always mean it’s objectively cleaner. In cities, for example, cold weather can actually trap pollutants close to the ground. A layer of cold, dense air can act like a lid, preventing exhaust and other pollutants from rising and dispersing. As a result, air quality can worsen even in winter. 

At the same time, cold temperatures slow the evaporation of odor-causing chemicals, so fewer strong or unpleasant smells reach your nose — which can make the air seem fresher than it really is.

Whether or not it’s cleaner, the crispness of winter air — which tends to be dry rather than humid — can make breathing feel more refreshing. And the simpler mix of scents and slower outdoor chemical activity can create a sense of clarity that smells great and feels restorative.

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Dreams are a universal human experience, yet they remain one of the most mysterious aspects of sleep. Researchers continue to explore why we dream, how long dreams last, and what we dream about — work that has uncovered some key insights, from the frequency of nightmares to the science behind lucid dreaming. 

While some dreams feel empowering and exciting, others can be stressful or scary, but all of these experiences are typically side effects of healthy brain activity during sleep. Below are five facts that explore the fascinating world of dreams.

Most People Have Recurring Dreams

An estimated 60-75% of adults have experienced at least one recurring dream in their lifetime. According to psychology professor Antonio Zadra of the University of Montreal, most recurring dreams are unpleasant, often appearing during periods of real-life stress and dissipating once the stressor is resolved. Many researchers agree that dreaming helps us process emotions and work through unresolved stress, which is why negative recurring dreams may fade once the underlying issue is addressed.

If you’ve ever dreamt about your teeth falling out or being late to a class, you’re not alone. Certain kinds of recurring dreams are common among both adults and children, including falling, being chased, flying, losing teeth, being naked in public, being late, and taking a test. Psychologists speculate that these themes may represent core emotions that emerge at certain points in our lives. For instance, dreams about falling may indicate feelings of anxiety or instability and may arise during times of transition or high stress.

These themes occur across age groups, though the content often differs. Children’s dreams about being chased, for example, often feature the dreamer being pursued by monsters, wild animals, witches, or ghoulish creatures. By contrast, adults may experience being chased by more grown-up concerns such as burglars, strangers, mobs, or shadowy figures.

We Spend an Average of Two Hours Dreaming Each Night

Have you ever had a dream that felt like it lasted an entire day? Chances are it was only minutes long in reality, but those short scenes add up to around two hours of total dreaming per night. 

Most dreams occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a stage that lasts between 10 minutes and an hour. Because our bodies cycle through sleep stages multiple times per night, we experience an average of four to six REM periods nightly. The first REM period after falling asleep lasts for only a few minutes, so those early dreams are exceptionally brief.

Toward the early hours of the morning, REM periods lengthen, lasting around half an hour, with a maximum length of one hour. Still, it’s rare for a single dream to span that long. Instead, REM periods usually consist of multiple shorter dreams. 

Scientists use several methods to determine the lengths of dreams. One of the most common is electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brainwaves, allowing researchers to determine when participants are in REM sleep and dreaming. Similarly, fMRI (a type of brain imaging) measures blood flow, showing which areas of the brain are active during dreaming. 

Another valuable tool is dream reporting, wherein scientists wake participants after a timed REM period and ask for dream reports, linking REM duration with perceived dream length. Combining those methods helps scientists determine roughly how long the average sleeper dreams. 

Dreams can also occur during the other stages of sleep. There are four sleep stages in total: REM and three phases of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, N1, N2, and N3. While research indicates NREM dreams do occur, they’re less frequent and much shorter than REM dreams — think of them as a fleeting thought rather than a complex dream featuring storylines and details. That’s because the brain is much more active during REM sleep than during NREM, leading to more vivid dreams.

Because NREM dreams are short, incomplete thoughts rather than full narratives, they don’t account for much of our total dreaming time. This is why researchers use REM duration as a proxy for estimating total dream time, leading to the estimate of roughly two hours of dreaming per night, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Our Brains Temporarily Paralyze Us While We Dream

Have you ever wondered why you don’t fall out of bed during an especially animated dream? The brain has a special protective mechanism to keep us safe and sound: It temporarily paralyzes us during REM, the stage of sleep involving vivid dreaming. When we’re in REM sleep, many physiological changes can occur, including increases in blood pressure, heart rate, brain activity, and breathing. In fact, most neurons in our brains fire just as much, or sometimes more, in deep sleep than they do when we’re awake. 

This allows for very emotional, intense, and elaborate dreams during the REM cycle. Of course, our brains must also protect our bodies from acting out these scenarios. To accomplish this, the pons (the part of the brainstem that handles unconscious processes) and the rostral ventromedial medulla (the part that can block or amplify pain signals sent to the spinal cord) work together to suppress skeletal muscle tone, a process known as muscle atonia. 

That near-total paralysis of voluntary muscles turns physical readiness off during REM sleep, allowing us to sleep soundly. During NREM sleep, muscle tone is reduced but not eliminated, though most NREM dreams are typically less vivid and physically demanding.

Nightmares Are Different From Night Terrors

Bad dreams can take different forms: Nightmares are more common and generally less intense, while night terrors can be severe and disruptive. 

Nightmares are often related to real-life stressors, such as a child’s fear of separation or an adult’s job insecurity. But they may also be fictional and unrelated to waking events. An estimated 20-30% of children and 5-8% of adults experience frequent nightmares, which often occur in the second half of the night, during those longer stretches of REM sleep.

A night terror is far more intense than a nightmare, often startling the dreamer awake. Usually occurring early in the night during NREM sleep, night terrors are caused by the overstimulation of the central nervous system, leading to sudden waking, crying, screaming, confusion, and other unpleasant reactions. Despite those intense responses, night terrors thankfully have a limited recall period, whereas nightmares are more often remembered.

Fortunately, night terrors are relatively uncommon, especially in adults. An estimated 1-6.5% of children (1 to 12 years of age) and 1-4% of adults experience night terrors. They’re most common in toddlers and young kids, but as the nervous system matures, night terrors typically fade without treatment, making them rare in adults.

Some People Can Control Their Dreams

Realizing we’re in a dream — known as lucid dreaming — is a phenomenon that approximately 51% of people have reportedly experienced at least once. Though the ability to control our dreams was once considered a myth, in 1981, a study conducted by psychophysiologist Stephen LaBerge of Stanford University established the scientific validity of lucid dreaming. While in REM sleep and dreaming, study participants were able to perform eye movement patterns that LaBerge had previously asked them to perform, demonstrating that some dreamers can control their actions.

Researchers continue to investigate why we lucid dream. Though many theories are actively being explored, cognitive neurophysiology expert Nicolas Zink, author of the 2015 paper “Theories of Dreaming and Lucid Dreaming,” believes the best explanation is the protoconsciousness theory, which proposes dreaming during REM sleep represents a fundamental state of brain organization that supports waking consciousness and maintains emotional balance.

For many people, the appeal of lucid dreaming lies more in “how” to experience it than “why.” Lucid dreaming can often be pleasant — from traveling the world to soaring through the sky — so some people seek to induce it. One of the most popular techniques is “Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams” (MILD), developed by LaBerge.

The process begins with accurate dream recall upon awakening during the night. According to LaBerge, before falling back asleep, the dreamer must focus on the dream as they repeat, “Next time I’m dreaming, I will remember that I am dreaming.” Repeating this phrase while visualizing the dream may help the dreamer reenter it and become lucid.