Why We Forget Our Dreams

We spend one-third of our life sleeping. But still, oftentimes it’s quite hard to remember the details of our dreams.

5-Minute Crafts figured out why people forget their dreams so fast. We will also tell you some tricks that will help you recall the plot of your last dream.

What a dream is

A dream is a chain of thoughts, images, and feelings that appear in our consciousness while we are asleep. Dreams occur when certain areas of the brain are activated through a series of electrical patterns and chemical activities.

There are several theories about the functionality of dreams, however, the main one is that dreams are directly related to the processes of memory consolidation. According to research, the sleeping brain reactivates new knowledge and memories in dreams in order to reorganize them.

Why we forget our dreams

There are several reasons why we forget a dream that we have just experienced:

• The electrical signals and chemical reactions that create a dream often disappear as wakefulness sets in. Elements of a dream may resurface in our minds later, sometimes even on the same day. Perhaps it happens because we repeat the experience that reactivates the same area of the brain that was creating dreams at night. The brightest of dreams can leave an impression throughout one’s entire life because they are connected with strong emotions.
• Sometimes we don’t remember our dreams because we wake up too fast, like, for example, if it’s an alarm clock that wakes you up in the morning. The time period during which we wake up is an important element in the process of remembering a dream. Of course, this complex mechanism won’t work the way it should if you wake up abruptly.
• Various sleep disorders can also be a reason why it might be hard for a person to remember their dreams. For example, insomnia can disrupt the REM phase during which dreams are formed.

How to remember a dream

There are several ways that can help you remember your dreams:

• A dream diary can become a great assistant in the process of remembering dreams. If you keep a notebook and a pen near your bed, you’ll have a chance to jot your dream down right after you wake up. Quickly written notes can not only help you keep the dream in your memory but also ponder over its meaning.
• Get in the habit of trying to remember each dream. Do it not only when a dream seems worth remembering, but regularly. In this case, the process of remembering will become easier over time.
• Try to follow the sleeping schedule. Going to bed at the same time every day will help you improve the quality of your sleep, and later, your body will start to wake you up right after the REM phase. In this case, it will be much easier to remember your dreams.