Why do We Forget Our Dreams?

Have you ever had such an experience? — When you just opened your eyes, you firmly believed that you had a dream, but it was difficult to recall the content of the dream — you forgot it in the moment you woke up.

Remembering the dreams represents a good sleep quality? That’s not the case, experts say.

For many of us, our dreams transport us to a surreal world where logic and reason have no reign. Some of us may even look forward to sleep — and the adventures we’ll go on in our dreams.

But does everyone take a nightly trip to dreamland? While most of us remember somewhere around one or two dreams a week, some people’s subconscious experience is more like a blank tape.

Do you really have a dream? “Everyone dreams, but not everyone remembers it,” says Shelby Harris PsyD.

Reasons for why do we forget our dreams

1、Brain Differences — how a brain is wired may influence a person’s ability to recall dreams.

2、Anxiety Levels Before Bed — People are more likely to remember their dreams when they’re anxious or depressed, Harris says, perhaps because they also tend to wake up more often from various dreams when they’re worried.

3、Medication or Health Problems — Certain medicines, including some drugs that treat depression, can suppress dream sleep, says Dr. Subramanian. Similarly, sleep apnea can also minimize the time you spend dreaming.

4、Differences in Gender And Personality — a survey shows that adolescent girls were more likely than their male counterparts to remember their dreams. This study also finds a link between creativity and dream recall: Participants with stronger dream recall were more likely to identify themselves as creative compared with those less likely to recall their dreams.

5、Vitamin B6 — individuals who took a vitamin B6 supplement before bed are more likely to remember their dreams compared with individuals who do not take the supplement.

How to avoid forgetting dreams?

Develop a regular schedule and ensure a good night’s sleep. Dreams only occur during what is biologically known as REM sleep, when our bodies are completely at rest, our eyes are rapidly rolling, and our brains are active.

If you don’t get enough sleep, or are frequently disturbed to sleep, the shorter the duration of this state, the fewer dreams. Therefore, you should work and rest on time every day to ensure the time and quality of sleep.

Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day, and those who sleep less than 6 hours often have difficulty recalling their dreams. Because longer and more realistic dreams tend to appear later in the sleep cycle.

The best time to try to recall the dream is within the first 90 seconds after waking up, before the memory fades away.

After spending two minutes replaying and piecing together the thoughts, feelings, and images of the most recent sleep, write them down immediately.

It’s fun to remember dreams at the time, but it’s also important to have a good night’s sleep.