But guess what?

These nighttime forays into fantasyland might mean a lot more psychologically than you're giving them credit for.

Dreams are your mind's way of exploring ideas, desires and fears that are too abstract, too disturbing or too overwhelming to think about during waking existence. And erotic dreams need not involve you in the hot tub with the Play..boy bunnies. They can be symbolic references that make statements about your emotional and erotic states without being graphic.

The purpose of these dreams is to mentally act out fantasy thoughts so you're not repressing them any longer. It's extremely healthy, and necessary. It's like your mind emptying out the trash.

While dream analysis is highly subjective and can only be done accurately by a licensed psychotherapist who counsels you on a regular basis, there are a few common symbolic threads in dreams that most everyone agrees on.

But who needs professional help when you got an article on the Internet to guide you, right?

Here's what the most common erotic dreams mean:

The woman with no face
In this scenario you dream of sex with an anonymous, faceless woman. She's perfectly sexy, smart, responsive, intuitive, sensitive, and familiar. But, no matter how hard you try, you cannot make out any of her features or her identity.

What it means: One meaning of this dream is simple: You desire uncomplicated sex in its most animalistic form. Essentially, your subconscious wants to use women for sex without any concern for their emotions or their identity.

Another explanation comes from the famed psychologist Carl Jung who says that dreams of a perfect faceless partner are your mind's way of telling you to embark on a journey of self-improvement. The faceless partner, he says, is really you, and the correct way to respond to this dream is by developing qualities in yourself that this "blank" partner possesses.

The surprise return of your ex
This dream finds you in bed with an old flame -- which might be rather shocking. But fear not, this oftentimes means not that you miss your old girlfriend, but that you're actually trying to rid them from your psyche.

What it means: For instance, if you recently met someone new, it might be your way of mentally preparing yourself for a new emotional attachment. By dreaming of your ex, your mind is trying to close the book on her.

The people appearing in your dreams represent a certain aspect of yourself. So this dream is telling you how you relate to whatever qualities your old girlfriend represents. Ask yourself how you would describe her to someone who has never met her. Is she generous, angry, or compassionate? Whatever the quality is, examine yourself and how you are relating to or using this quality in your life.

You're about to have sex with your girl and she disappears...

The disappearing partner
This is the dream where your partner vanishes right before or during sex.

What it means: Besides the overt meanings of fear of abandonment and frustration with unreliable partners, this dream can mean you aren't feeling confident.

Hooking up with a coworker
In this familiar dream, you have sex with someone you work with, which is all fine and good when it's the hot 21-year-old girl in your department. It might not be so grand if it's the wrinkled 60-year-old secretary.

What it means: This dream is a sexual metaphor that might mean nothing more than that you enjoy the professional bond you share with your coworker. Though it might be hard to believe, it probably just means that you are comfortable with them.

Sex on display
You dream you are having sex in a public place with strangers watching.

What it means: This dream can point to a fear of sexual intimacy, or anxiety about being vulnerable or being caught off guard. For instance, having this dream after having talked your girlfriend into some exotic kind of kinky sex may signal that you feel guilty.

The dream may also be telling you that you are trying to be something that you really are not. Clothes being a metaphor for your public persona, the loss of them can mean a fear of others knowing who you really are.

The homosexual dream
Simply put, this dream involves having some type of sexual intercourse with another man.

What it means: The most common explanation for dreams where you have sex with another man is not that you want to switch teams, but that you want your female partner to act more "manly." You see, some psychologists explain same-sex activity in dreamland as meaning that you desire your woman to display so-called "male" strength qualities like logic, reason or dominance.

So don't worry about your sexuality. Experts also generally agree that if homoerotic dreams upset you, then you are probably not a homosexual.

You suffer from erectile dysfunction
You're in the middle of getting it on, but simply can't get it up, for whatever reason. This is similar to a very common paralysis dream where you find yourself unable to move -- in this case, it's a failure to coax your unit to perform.

What it means: Depending on the context, this might mean that you feel powerless or paralyzed in other areas of your life. For example, if you have this dream during a time that you're looking for a new job or trying to get a promotion at work, it may signal your frustration with getting ahead in life.

erotic dreams are about more than sex

Most psychologists agree that dreams hold deep subconscious meaning, even if they don't make sense to you when you wake up. But pay attention to them; it just might be your Id trying to tell you something about your sex life.