Why You Might Not Remember Your Dreams: Is It Normal and Common?

It’s normal not to remember your dreams, because most dreams fade quickly after waking.

Normal

Most people forget most dreams. Dreams fade within minutes of waking.

Why

The brain areas that form memories are less active in REM sleep. Norepinephrine is low.

Improve recall

• Keep a dream journal.
• Wake naturally.
• Set the intention.

Medicines

Some antidepressants reduce recall.

Not a problem

Not recalling dreams is not a sign of poor sleep.

Why dreams are forgotten

Most people have 3 to 5 dreams each night but forget most. The brain’s memory systems are less active during sleep, and levels of norepinephrine are low in REM, which reduces memory encoding. Dreams fade quickly after waking unless attention is directed to them within a few minutes.

• A 2011 study in Neuron-related research found that dream recallers had more brain activity in the temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex.
• Women and younger people tend to report more dreams, with high variation.
• Alcohol, cannabis withdrawal, SSRIs and sleep deprivation change REM and dream recall.

Improve recall

Keep a dream journal by the bed, set the intention before sleep, wake without a loud alarm and lie still while recalling. Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep gives more REM in the late morning. Not remembering dreams is normal and does not indicate a sleep disorder. See a doctor if you also have daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, or acting out dreams, which can signal REM sleep behavior disorder.

Why dreams are forgotten

Dream memory fades quickly because the brain’s memory formation systems are less active in REM. People who wake during REM recall more. Stress, alcohol and some drugs reduce recall.

Improve recall

Keep a notebook, wake gently and think of the dream before moving. Forgetting dreams is normal.

Why dreams fade

Dreams are mostly lost within minutes of waking because the brain areas that store memories are less active during sleep, and norepinephrine levels are low in REM sleep. Recall is higher when waking directly from REM sleep or if you pay attention to dreams. Studies suggest that people who recall dreams more have more brain activity in the temporoparietal junction and wake more during the night.

Whether it matters

Not remembering dreams is normal and does not mean you are not dreaming or that sleep is poor. Alcohol, cannabis, antidepressants and sleep deprivation can alter dream recall. To remember more, keep a notepad by the bed, wake without a loud alarm if possible, and write as soon as you wake. If you are worried about sleep, see a doctor, particularly for loud snoring, daytime sleepiness or acting out dreams.

Based on data from the Sleep Foundation and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine