Here, sleep experts unpack the factors that affect dream recall and share tips on how to remember more of your dreams going forward. According to research, the sleeping brain reactivates or “replays” new learning and memories1 while we dream, as a way to reorganize the new data and integrate it into our long-term memory. So, what does that mean for people who can’t remember their dreams? Well, first you need to identify why you’re not remembering them. “It is a myth that remembering dreams is a sign of good or bad night’s sleep,” sleep researcher and co-author of Sleep for Success! Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., tells mbg. Additionally, Jean-Louis adds, “Most people experience the REM cycles several times nightly. Thus, the issue is a failure to remember dreams rather than a suggestion of being unhealthy.” Jean-Louis notes that while some individuals are better able to remember their dreams, “with practice, the art of dream recall can be mastered.” Here’s how. Jean-Louis adds it’s also a good idea to “set the alarm clock around the time one usually wakes up, as one is likely to wake after an REM cycle,” to ensure you wake up right after a dream. (Here’s a more in-depth guide to deciding when to wake up.) “Our ability to recall dreams can be improved by simply drawing more attention to dreams,” Robbins adds. “Another strategy is starting a habit of talking to a loved one in the morning immediately after you wake up about your dreams.” We spend nearly a third of our lives asleep, and a good portion of that time dreaming—it’s no wonder we’re ever curious about what dreams mean and how to remember them more. So try taking some of these steps; with any luck, your bedside dream journal will be filling up in no time.
