Here’s Why You Can Never Remember Your Dreams

Did you know some people remember dreams more easily than others? Well, there’s a reason for that.

Dream recall is an ability many of us have, but likely to different extents. For example, you might remember, say, 70 percent of your dreams, while your friend might only recall about 25 percent of theirs. 

According to a study by Acta Biomed published in the National Library of Medicine, “The ability to remember dreams can depend on a wide range of factors such as personality, creativity, mental state, cognitive functions as well as somatic symptoms.”

However, new data from Italy specified some of the influences affecting dream recall. According to the study abstract, the researchers collected dream reports, demographic information, and psychometric, cognitive, actigraphic, and electroencephalographic measures in adults.

“We found that attitude towards dreaming, proneness to mind wandering, and sleep patterns are associated with the probability of reporting a dream upon morning awakening,” the study authors revealed. “The likelihood of recalling dream content was predicted by age and vulnerability to interference. Moreover, dream recall appeared to be influenced by night-by-night changes in sleep patterns and showed seasonal fluctuations.”

What is Dream Recall and How Does it Work?

More specifically, better dream recall occurred in those who had a positive attitude toward their dreams, as well as those who allowed their minds to wander. Additionally, long, light sleep produced better dream recall. 

The study authors also noted a “higher recall in younger individuals and female individuals.” Dream recall frequency was also lower during autumn and winter, suggesting that warm climates might increase our ability to remember our dreams.

“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,” said lead study author Giulio Bernardi, a professor in general psychology at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca.

“These insights not only deepen our understanding of the mechanisms behind dreaming but also have implications for exploring dreams’ role in mental health and in the study of human consciousness.”