Ever wonder why you can always tell your dreams in scents and colors, but your partner can never? You’re probably not the only one. We were actually also curious about why some people remember their dreams, but others hardly do. In this article we will explain it to you in detail.
Why do you remember (or not) your dreams?
Even if you don’t remember your nighttime escapades, it’s good to know that everyone dreams. You could say no, but that simply has to do with the fact that you simply do not remember your dreams. If you often wake up without any active memory of the night, there may be several reasons. We’ll explain it to you.
Inactive brain
When you sleep, fewer processes are active in your brain. Your brain is also trying to get a little rest. One of these processes is creating your long-term memories. Psychologist Deirdre Barrett explains to Scientific American Mind: “If a dream ends before we wake up, we almost never remember it. This is different for dreams that are still going on when we wake up. Our brain – including the processes that dealing with memories – is already starting up.”
Distractions
The opposite was also proven in a French study in 2018: people with an active brain at rest remember dreams more easily. Ultimately, of course, it all varies from person to person. However, it is also true that every distraction you encounter can cause you to forget your dream completely. The banging sound of your alarm clock, for example, is enough for that.
Lots of emotions
Another factor that can ensure that you remember your dreams is experiencing a lot of emotions. For example, if you are feeling a lot of sadness or stress, there is a greater chance that you will be able to retell your dreams the next day. After all, your brain is much more active when experiencing many emotions. This may also be the reason that nightmares are more intense and that you often remember these bad dreams.
Man versus woman
Research in 2012 showed that there is also a significant difference between men and women when it comes to remembering dreams. Apparently women are a lot better at this than men… It has also been found that people become worse at retelling dreams as they get older.
