Why Some People Remember Dreams and Others Don’t

[Chip (OP)]

https://neurosciencenews.com/dream-memory-neuroscience-24833/

Editor: You can't beat a Phenibut or BDO (1,4-Butanediol) induced dream ! No bullshit ...

Some excerpts:

Some people wake up vividly recalling their dreams from the night, and can tell precise stories experienced during the night, while others struggle to remember even a single detail. Why does this happen?

A new study, conducted by researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, and published on Communications Psychology explores the factors that influence so called “dream recall”— the ability to remember dreams upon awakening—and uncovers which individual traits and sleep patterns shape this phenomenon.

The reason why there is such a difference in recalling dreams remains a mystery. Some studies found that women, young persons, or people with a tendency to daydreaming tend to better recall night dreams.

Our results provide an account for previous observations regarding inter- and intra-individual variability in morning dream recall.

Dream recall, defined as the probability of waking up in the morning with impressions and memories from a dream experience, showed considerable variability between individuals and was influenced by multiple factors. Credit: Neuroscience News
Post Merged: February 20, 2025, 10:51:32 AMsomnology  |  communications psychology

Looking forward to dreams may make them easier to remember

They say you should always follow your dreams, but what if you don’t remember them?

Some people recall their dreams in vivid detail (and will often enthusiastically recount every bizarre twist and turn), while others forget their nighttime visions immediately upon waking.
Now, new research has revealed why certain individuals remember their dreams better than others.

Between 2020 and 2024, scientists in Italy tracked sleep and cognitive data for more than 200 participants, who reported information about their dreams over a 15-day period.

Based on responses to psychological tests and questionnaires, the team determined that individuals with a positive attitude toward dreams and a penchant for mind-wandering were much more likely to recall their dreams, as did younger participants and those who spent longer periods of time in light sleep.

Older individuals, meanwhile, tended to experience “white dreams,” in which they recalled the sensation of having dreamt without remembering any details.

The researchers also uncovered some seasonal variation, with dream recall dropping off during the winter months and improving in the springtime.

“Our findings suggest that dream recall is not just a matter of chance but a reflection of how personal attitudes, cognitive traits, and sleep dynamics interact,” senior study author Giulio Bernardi explains in a statement, noting that the new research has “implications for exploring dreams’ role in mental health and in the study of human consciousness.”

Hopefully, follow-up research can help explain why I keep having nightmares about being late for school when I graduated years ago…

Post Merged: February 20, 2025, 10:53:07 AMsomnology  |  communications psychology

Looking forward to dreams may make them easier to remember

They say you should always follow your dreams, but what if you don’t remember them?

Some people recall their dreams in vivid detail (and will often enthusiastically recount every bizarre twist and turn), while others forget their nighttime visions immediately upon waking.

Now, new research has revealed why certain individuals remember their dreams better than others.

Between 2020 and 2024, scientists in Italy tracked sleep and cognitive data for more than 200 participants, who reported information about their dreams over a 15-day period.

Based on responses to psychological tests and questionnaires, the team determined that individuals with a positive attitude toward dreams and a penchant for mind-wandering were much more likely to recall their dreams, as did younger participants and those who spent longer periods of time in light sleep.

Older individuals, meanwhile, tended to experience “white dreams,” in which they recalled the sensation of having dreamt without remembering any details.

The researchers also uncovered some seasonal variation, with dream recall dropping off during the winter months and improving in the springtime.

“Our findings suggest that dream recall is not just a matter of chance but a reflection of how personal attitudes, cognitive traits, and sleep dynamics interact,” senior study author Giulio Bernardi explains in a statement, noting that the new research has “implications for exploring dreams’ role in mental health and in the study of human consciousness.”

Hopefully, follow-up research can help explain why I keep having nightmares about being late for school when I graduated years ago…