Dreams can be good, bad, and anything in between. But is it possible for them to be nothing at all? Around one in 250 people don't remember their dreams (according to existing research).
Is it possible that these lucid events don't occur to everyone equally? Or is it that these individuals simply aren't remembering what takes place throughout the night? Let’s dive in.
What Are Dreams, Anyway?
Dreams occur in the sleeping brain as a form of processing information collected throughout the day. This information is collected, organized, and integrated into our long-term memory. Other research and theories frame dreams as responses to random signals from the brain and body during sleep.
Some believe that we’re better able to retain information while sleeping since we're able to avoid the stimuli that typically hinder recollection. Still, evidence surrounding what affects our ability to recall dreams remains thin.
What's the Connection Between Dreams and REM Sleep?
We experience multiple sleep cycles throughout the night. REM sleep is usually characterized by eye twitches, heavy breathing, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and a lack of muscle movement to the point where our bodies mimic a paralyzed state. This is also when dreams occur.
During this stage, the brain gives off mixed frequencies that mimic the brain activity that takes place during normal waking hours. Most individuals who are woken up during this REM sleep stage report better dream recall.
It is also possible to experience dreaming in lighter stages of sleep. Individuals can also experience fragmentary dreams in slow-wave sleep, or during the third stage of sleep.
What Does It Mean if You Don't Remember Your Dreams?
Researchers tend to believe that everybody dreams, though not everyone remembers these occurrences after waking up. The better sleep we get, the more likely we are to become aware that we are dreaming. This process is known as lucid dreaming. Meanwhile, poor sleep quality impacts our ability to remember our dreams. Researchers call this experience "poor dream recall."
Listed below are a few factors that can impact our ability to remember our dreams.
How Can I Improve My Dream Recall?
Most people who “don't experience dreams” suffer from poor dream recall. If you’re one of those people who can’t remember their dreams, you’ll be happy to know that you can turn things around by making a few adjustments to your routine. Of course, the dream recall process will take some time before you can start remembering dreams, so be patient and consistent with your changes.
Setting yourself up for a good night’s sleep is more than just making your bed, avoiding using your phone before going to bed, and making a sleep schedule. It also involves:
Conclusion
Dreams can provide fascinating revelations. If you’re a person who’s intrigued by them, you’ll no doubt want to try some of these suggestions.
While there isn’t a sure-fire way to improve dream recall, making healthy changes to your lifestyle and gaining control over issues that affect REM sleep can help us remember our dreams after waking up.
Of course, that can be easier said than done. If you have sleep apnea, insomnia, or other sleep disorders that stop you from sleeping, you might consider other alternatives.
Sandland Sleep is a great place to start.
Our natural sleep aids help people fall and stay asleep. We use natural high-quality hemp-derived ingredients to get you a full eight hours of sleep without feeling drowsy the morning after. That way, you can get a good night's sleep, every night.
