Why do some people always remember their dreams? Experts clarify

People dream when they sleep, but some individuals wake up and remember what they dreamt, while others completely forget or may not even be aware that they had a dream. According to psychologists, certain personality traits determine who remembers their dreams.

Professor Gary L. Wenk, from Ohio State University, stated in an article on Psychology Today that dreams are subjective conscious experiences generated by the brain during sleep. This is essentially all we know for sure about dreams.

Dreams are uncontrollable and do not require self-reflection, often defying physical laws (such as flying in the sky). They are composed of memories acquired in the past, showing some continuity with waking experiences. For instance, if you are a Catholic Democrat during the day, you won’t suddenly become a Muslim or a Republican in your dreams.

Scientists have confirmed that people dream in some form throughout the night, not just during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Dreams play a role in consolidating memories, but most people fail to recall their dreams. Why is that?

Wenk pointed out that little is known about the true nature of dreams due to the challenges in dream research. Researchers have to rely on dream reports provided by participants upon waking as a reliable reflection of dream content. However, memory of dreams can change based on sleep experiences and the time passed since the dream occurred. Some individuals may wake up feeling they dreamt but cannot remember any details.

A recent study looked into the factors influencing dream recall. Participants, aged 18 to 70, recorded their last dream experiences upon waking for 15 consecutive days. They also wore portable electroencephalogram (EEG) devices to record physiological data and underwent neuropsychological evaluations.

Wenk explained three factors that affect one’s chances of remembering dreams upon waking: attitudes towards dreaming, tendency for mind wandering, and specific sleep patterns. Distractions can also impact whether one remembers dream content or just the fact that a dream occurred.

The relationship between mind wandering and dream recall suggests that people tend to involuntarily experience dream-like episodes regardless of external events. Individuals who daydream may be more attentive to their dreams as their attention and memory are higher during the day.

Results indicated that people are more likely to remember dreams upon waking from longer periods of sleep, as only a small portion of the night is spent in deep sleep, with REM sleep being predominant. The reduced overall brain activity during deep sleep makes it reasonable for dream recall to be higher upon waking from such periods.

Wenk noted that neural activity associated with REM sleep closely resembles that of wakefulness. People tend to remember dreams more in spring and autumn compared to winter, possibly due to the effects of circadian rhythms and nighttime body temperature. External factors post-waking, like conversation and thoughts about the day ahead, can decrease dream recall frequency.

In conclusion, if you aim to remember your dreams, accepting them mentally before bedtime and trying to recall dream content immediately upon waking can be beneficial.