Why Can't I Remember My Dreams?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsReasons You Can’t Remember Your DreamsWhy Am I Remembering My Dreams Lately?How to Remember Your DreamsIs It Good to Remember My Dreams?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Reasons You Can’t Remember Your Dreams

Why Am I Remembering My Dreams Lately?

How to Remember Your Dreams

Is It Good to Remember My Dreams?

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Dreams can range from the funny to the scary to the downright strange, but you might also find yourself scratching your head and wondering, “Why can’t I remember my dreams?” If you wake in the morning feeling disappointed that you don’t recall any dreams that you had overnight, you may wonder if you dream at all.

The truth is though—everyone dreams every night.However, the reasons why you don’t remember your dreams can vary from person to person. The fact is that, unless they are highly memorable, most dreams tend to fade quickly once you wake. Plus, other factors, like a lack of REM sleep or the presence of a sleep disorder, might interfere with your ability to remember your dreams.

At a GlanceIt’s normal to have trouble remembering your dreams. We all dream at night, but most of us forget these nighttime imaginings shortly after we wake up. However, some things can interfere with your ability to remember your dreams, including poor sleep and disorders affecting your ability to fall and stay asleep.Keep reading to learn why you have trouble remembering your dreams upon waking up and what you can do to improve your dream recall.

At a Glance

It’s normal to have trouble remembering your dreams. We all dream at night, but most of us forget these nighttime imaginings shortly after we wake up. However, some things can interfere with your ability to remember your dreams, including poor sleep and disorders affecting your ability to fall and stay asleep.Keep reading to learn why you have trouble remembering your dreams upon waking up and what you can do to improve your dream recall.

It’s normal to have trouble remembering your dreams. We all dream at night, but most of us forget these nighttime imaginings shortly after we wake up. However, some things can interfere with your ability to remember your dreams, including poor sleep and disorders affecting your ability to fall and stay asleep.

Keep reading to learn why you have trouble remembering your dreams upon waking up and what you can do to improve your dream recall.

1:487 Theories on Why We Dream Simplified

1:48

7 Theories on Why We Dream Simplified

Reasons Why You Can’t Remember Your Dreams

If you often ask ‘why can’t I remember my dreams,’ here are some of the most common explanations:

You May Not Have Had Enough REM Sleep

If you can’t remember your dreams when you wake up, it is possible thatREM sleepis not occurring (or at least not occurring as much as normal).

REM SleepMost of your dreams occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.The tell-tale signs of REM sleep include an active brain, rapid eye movements, and a loss of muscle tone.

REM Sleep

Most of your dreams occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.The tell-tale signs of REM sleep include an active brain, rapid eye movements, and a loss of muscle tone.

If REM sleep occurs, the vivid dreams associated with it may not be recalled. If there is a transition from REM sleep to another state of sleep (most often stage 1 or stage 2), you may forget your dreams before recoveringconsciousness.

Why Am I Remembering My Dreams Lately?If you suddenly remember your dreams more than usual, it might be due to fragmented REM sleep.Alarm clocks notoriously interrupt REM sleep towards morning. Other causes of fragmented sleep that might cause you to remember your dreams include sleep apnea, limb movements, or snoring. It is even possible to fall asleep andre-enter the same dreamexperience repeatedly.

If you suddenly remember your dreams more than usual, it might be due to fragmented REM sleep.Alarm clocks notoriously interrupt REM sleep towards morning. Other causes of fragmented sleep that might cause you to remember your dreams include sleep apnea, limb movements, or snoring. It is even possible to fall asleep andre-enter the same dreamexperience repeatedly.

Your Recollection Of Dreams Begins to Fade When You Wake Up

The reality is that dreams tend to fade very fast upon waking. This happens to everyone regardless of how good their memory is.

As a general rule, dreams fade quickly after waking. The electrical signals and chemical signatures that constitute the experience of the dream may disappear as wakefulness ensues.

Particularly memorable dreams may create an impression that persists for decades. Recounting the dream to another person may help to stabilize thememory.

Dreams (or nightmares) that are associated with intense emotions, including fear, may also stick in the mind. Theamygdalais an area of the brain that may help to elicit these emotion-laden dreams.

You May Have a Sleep Disorder

Sleep disorders may impact dream recall.For example, untreatedobstructive sleep apneamay also contribute to fragmented REM sleep as disturbed breathing occurs due to the relaxation of the airway muscles. For some, this may lead to increased dream recall (including dreams of drowning or suffocation).

Sleep apnea may likewise lead to REM sleep deprivation, and effectivecontinuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapymay cause a profound rebound of REM sleep.

People withnarcolepsyalso experience sudden sleep transitions that contribute to dream recall, sleep-related hallucinations, andsleep paralysis.

Poor sleep habits, stress, and psychiatric conditions may also fragment sleep and increase dreaming and recall.

Mind in the Media: Netflix’s The Sandman and the Truth About Why We Dream

If you are tired of wondering ‘why can’t I remember my dreams’ and want to learn more about what your dreams are about, there are a few things you can do. If you are interested in improving your dream recall, consider a simple change: keep a dream journal.

Start a Dream Journal

By keeping a pen and a notebook on the nightstand next to the bed, it becomes easy to quickly record dreams immediately upon waking up. You’ll be able to write them down before you start to forget them.

Writing down your dream may encourage improvements in dream recall. If the scribbled notes can be interpreted later in the morning, it may be possible to reflect on themeaning of your dreams.

Practice Good Sleep Habits

Limit Distractions and Stimulation Before Bedtime

Instead of relying on these devices to distract and entertain you, try engaging in a restful activity that will help prepare you for sleep, such as taking a warm bath,meditating, or gentle stretching.

Talk About Your Dreams

Right after waking, tell your partner or another family member (or even your pet) about what you remember about your dreams. Sharing these details can help cement them in your memory more. As you talk about your dream, you may also find yourself remembering more of the details, or even recalling other dreams you might have had.

Is It Good to Remember My Dreams?Dreams often reflect your conscious thoughts, memories, and concerns. Knowing what your dreams are about can provide insight into what’s on your mind—and what you’re worried about. It’s not necessary to remember your dreams, but it can be a helpful source of insight.

Dreams often reflect your conscious thoughts, memories, and concerns. Knowing what your dreams are about can provide insight into what’s on your mind—and what you’re worried about. It’s not necessary to remember your dreams, but it can be a helpful source of insight.

Takeaways

While it can be frustrating not to remember your dreams, it’s important to recognize that it is pretty common. Even if your dream recall is very good, chances are you will only remember a small portion of what you dream each night.

If your dream recall is very poor and you are experiencing other signs of sleep deprivation, you might want to talk to your doctor to see if something is going on that might be interfering with your sleep. In addition to ruling out sleep disorders or conditions that interfere with sleep, you can also take steps, such as keeping a dream journal and using good sleep habits, to improve the likelihood of recalling your dreams.

9 Common Dream Interpretations to Help You Make Sense of It All

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dal Sacco D.Dream recall frequency and psychosomatics.Acta Biomed. 2022;93(2):e2022046. Published 2022 May 11. doi:10.23750/abm.v93i2.11218National Cancer Institute.REM Sleep.Sleep Foundation.REM sleep: What it is and why it’s important.National Council on Aging.How alcohol, prescription drugs, and stimulants disrupt your sleep.Park SY, Oh MK, Lee BS, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Paiva T, Attarian H.Obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep-related syndromes. In:Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol 119. Elsevier; 2014:251-271. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00018-7Schredl M.Dreams in patients with sleep disorders.Sleep Med Rev.2009;13(3):215-21. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2008.06.002

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dal Sacco D.Dream recall frequency and psychosomatics.Acta Biomed. 2022;93(2):e2022046. Published 2022 May 11. doi:10.23750/abm.v93i2.11218National Cancer Institute.REM Sleep.Sleep Foundation.REM sleep: What it is and why it’s important.National Council on Aging.How alcohol, prescription drugs, and stimulants disrupt your sleep.Park SY, Oh MK, Lee BS, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Paiva T, Attarian H.Obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep-related syndromes. In:Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol 119. Elsevier; 2014:251-271. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00018-7Schredl M.Dreams in patients with sleep disorders.Sleep Med Rev.2009;13(3):215-21. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2008.06.002

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Dal Sacco D.Dream recall frequency and psychosomatics.Acta Biomed. 2022;93(2):e2022046. Published 2022 May 11. doi:10.23750/abm.v93i2.11218National Cancer Institute.REM Sleep.Sleep Foundation.REM sleep: What it is and why it’s important.National Council on Aging.How alcohol, prescription drugs, and stimulants disrupt your sleep.Park SY, Oh MK, Lee BS, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Paiva T, Attarian H.Obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep-related syndromes. In:Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol 119. Elsevier; 2014:251-271. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00018-7Schredl M.Dreams in patients with sleep disorders.Sleep Med Rev.2009;13(3):215-21. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2008.06.002

Dal Sacco D.Dream recall frequency and psychosomatics.Acta Biomed. 2022;93(2):e2022046. Published 2022 May 11. doi:10.23750/abm.v93i2.11218

National Cancer Institute.REM Sleep.

Sleep Foundation.REM sleep: What it is and why it’s important.

National Council on Aging.How alcohol, prescription drugs, and stimulants disrupt your sleep.

Park SY, Oh MK, Lee BS, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294

Paiva T, Attarian H.Obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep-related syndromes. In:Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol 119. Elsevier; 2014:251-271. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00018-7

Schredl M.Dreams in patients with sleep disorders.Sleep Med Rev.2009;13(3):215-21. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2008.06.002

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