Tips On How to Remember Dreams

If you’ve ever resisted waking up from a deep sleep simply because you didn’t want to leave those gloriously sweet dreams behind, you’re not alone! Many of us wish we could remember the dreams we had so we could relive them later in the day.

Unfortunately, dreams can be notoriously difficult to remember once we wake up. Some people seem to remember their dreams much better than others - so what is it that sets these people apart from the rest?

Here’s what you need to know to remember your dreams a bit better - no matter what your motivation for wanting to do so might be!

Why Can’t I Remember Dreams?

Have you ever wondered why some people are better at remembering their dreams than others? Don’t be jealous - there are some very specific factors at play here.

REM sleep typically leads to vivid dreams, with 80% of all dreams taking place during REM. However, REM sleep causes your brain to stop committing new memories to your long-term memory so that it can take the time you are asleep to rebuild. Because of this, it is difficult for your brain in its REM stage to deal with any dreams you might be having.

To add to that, during REM sleep, your body produces practically nonexistent levels of a crucial neurotransmitter involved in the creation of memories - norepinephrine.

Why is it that nightmares are easier to remember than actual dreams? It’s simple. Nightmares have a tendency to jolt or jostle you awake, startling you into alertness. Often, the fright jolts you out of REM sleep. Remember, during REM, your body is immobile to keep you from acting out your most vivid dreams.

When a nightmare scares you awake, it can be hard for you to get back to sleep. You might spend some time thinking about the dream or just get up and start the day. This time spent before falling back asleep is what helps you remember the dream for the long term - particularly if it’s a repeated nightmare that comes back almost every night.

As for those pleasant dreams, they can, as you might expect, be much harder to remember. However, there are some ways you can cement the details of the dream into your memory so that you can come back to it again and again.

How Can I Remember Dreams After Waking Up?

Here are a few ways you can remember your dreams when you wake up.

Set a Steady Sleep Schedule

You have to schedule everything else in your life, so it might feel frustrating to you that you should schedule your sleep as well.

Doing this, though, can be instrumental when it comes to remembering your dreams. Try to set a sleep schedule in which you go to bed at roughly the same time and wake up at the same time each and every day.

It is well-documented that following a steady, consistent schedule of sleep and wake times can help you get a better sleep quality while also improving your ability to remember dreams.

If you tend to sleep in late some days but get up early on others, it throws your body clock off. It can also mess with REM sleep and make it harder for you to remember your dreams.

Therefore, you should try to get up at around the same time each morning to keep your REM periods more or less stable. Try to get enough sleep - the more sleep you get each night, the more likely you are to receive the perfect amount of REM, too. Remember, REM happens mostly in the second half of the night, so consistency is key.

Have trouble falling asleep? Schedule a power-down hour, too. Just saying to yourself that you want to fall asleep at a certain time probably won’t do much in helping you meet your sleep goals if your body isn’t totally ready for sleep or if you are dealing with some underlying anxiety.

Power down for an hour before you go to bed. Shut off screens and don’t eat right before bed. Do something relaxing before you tuck in, like meditating or taking a hot bath. Reading is another way to get your mind off the day-to-day stressors that can make it hard to fall asleep.

Here’s another helpful tip when it comes to sleeping better and remembering your dreams - drink a glass of water before you go to bed. While you will likely have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, you’ll probably wake up post-REM cycle. If you recall, this is the time when it will be easiest for you to remember your dreams!

Consider the Sleep Environment

It’s also wise to consider the environment in which you are sleeping. The overall quality of your sleep (and as a result, your dreams) can easily be influenced by the environment of a bedroom.

If it’s warm in your bedroom (75 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter), you’re at a heightened risk of having scary nightmares. It can also cause your sleep to be more fragmented, which can reduce the likelihood of you having dreams in the first place (and especially of remembering them).

Turn down that thermostat! You’ll get a better night's sleep and have a better chance of remembering your dreams.

You should also maintain clean sheets and follow other sleep hygiene tips, like keeping bright screens out of the bedroom.

Avoid Alcohol and Drugs Before Bed

What is truly interesting about dreams is that researchers believe that people are much more prone to recalling their dreams if they sleep in a bit later, are awakened during a REM cycle, or get more REM sleep than the night before.

However, what’s even more fascinating about remembering dreams is that there are three factors that can dramatically worsen sleep quality - drugs, alcohol, and sleep deprivation.

You might not always be able to avoid sleep deprivation (we see you, new parents!) but you can ditch the alcohol and drugs. This can help you fall asleep and stay asleep better - while also giving you the potential benefit of being able to remember your dreams.

We all like a nightcap before bed - but it might not be the best thing for dealing with your insomnia. The same goes for drugs, even commercial sleep aids. Try natural solutions, like herbs or a relaxing bath, to help you get to sleep instead.

Don’t Jump Out of Bed in the Morning

The key to remembering a dream is to be able to think about it for a few seconds. When you wake up in the midst of a dream and then fall quickly back asleep, you probably won’t remember it because you never encoded it into long-term memory.

Most of your dreams will likely take place in the early hours of the morning, during the rapid eye movement (or REM) sleep periods. It takes a while for our brains to get into this stage of sleep long enough to dream. However, many people will drift in and out of REM sleep, with your eyes darting around without actually sending any information to your brain.

When you are dreaming in the middle of the night, your dream is almost always going to be forgotten because dreams are not encoded into the memory the same way natural experiences are. After all, you have fewer contextual cues and sensory details that you might have otherwise. THere’s less time to transfer memories into long-term memories, too, since you’re usually going to go right into a new sleep stage.

It is during this REM period that your heart rate and rate of respiration also increase. These REM periods tend to get longer and occur more often after we’ve fallen asleep and stayed asleep for a prolonged period of time - hence, the early morning dream sessions.

When you wake up for the day, don’t jump right out of bed. Instead, take a moment to think about your sleep the night before. Avoid looking at your phone and instead, turn off your alarm as quickly as you can. Give yourself a minute without any device distractions to fully absorb whatever it is you just dreamed about.

Tell Your Loved One About the Dream

Don’t wake them up - that’s sure to annoy them! - but if your partner is already awake and stirring next to you, take the opportunity to tell them about your dream. Recount as many details as possible.

This isn’t just for entertainment purposes - it will allow you to continue to think as much as you can about the dream that woke you up or the one you had earlier in the night. Discussing the dream with someone else will help your brain cement it into memory.

Break Out of Your Routine

Although it’s important to have a fairly solid routine and schedule when it comes to your sleep, it can be helpful to bust out of your typical routine during the day. Do something atypical and there’s a good chance you’ll dream about it - there are more new events that your mind is coding into long-term memories, after all.

SO if you can, try doing something different! You might just remember the dream the next day.

Write Everything Down

If you sleep by yourself - or perhaps just don’t want to bore your partner with all the intricate details of last night’s snooze session - consider just writing it down. Keep a piece of paper and a pen near your nightstand. That way, you have a place to write down the details from your dream after you've thought deeply about them.

When you write down the details of your dream, don’t perry - you aren’t writing the next great American novel here. It doesn’t have to be overly detailed. Instead, just spend a few moments recounting the dream so that it’s even easier to recall later on.

Try to make it a habit to remember your dreams. If you only attempt to remember your dreams once or twice a month, you aren’t going to be effectively training your brain in the process. Instead, try to devote a few moments to remember your dreams each day.

Keeping a dream journal is one of the best ways to do this. Keep a notebook by your bed so you can jot down whatever happened. Even just a few keywords or phrases can help.

When you’re writing down the memory, close your eyes! This may help you remember your dreams more vividly. If you open up your eyes, particularly if you open them immediately upon waking up, there’s a chance that you will be so distracted with other elements in the room that you forget the details of your dream.

Go To Bed and Remember Your Dreams

There is a misconception out there that only certain types of people can actually remember their dreams. However, that’s not the case. In fact, many researchers believe it might be an option to train your brain to be prepared for recalling dreams simply by practicing intentional thinking and behaviors throughout the day.

Go to bed with the goal to remember your dreams - doing something as simple as telling yourself, “I will remember all of my dreams in the morning” can often do the trick. It’s a simple mantra but it can be effective. This is an especially helpful habit to get into if you suffer from recurring nightmares or traumatic dreams.

Telling yourself that you will remember the dream - and then hanging up the script - will give your brain something else to focus on at night. You’ll be giving it an alternative.

That way, you’ll be able to control the direction of your dreams - and remember them the next day, too.

Ultimately, getting a good night’s sleep is the best predictor of whether you'll be able to remember your dreams. Follow these tips and you’ll sleep well - and dream well, too.