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Martian · 12-18-2009, 04:23 PM

My understanding of it is that it has more to do with when you wake up.

Dreams mostly occur during the REM phase of sleep. If you're woken up while that's occurring, you'll likely remember it. If you're woken up during another phase of sleep, however, you're far less likely to be dreaming, and therefore far less likely to remember a dream. We only remember the ones that are interrupted.

If my understanding of the situation is accurate, remembering your dreams wouldn't be related to the quality or quantity of sleep you get per se, but more with your individual rhythms and at what point in your sleep cycle you're typically awakened. People who tend to wake naturally, like myself, don't often remember dreams, because coming out of sleep on your own generally means you'll wake up during one of the shallower phases.

Again, this is just my understanding, but I believe that dreaming is strongly tied to REM sleep. Since we don't function well if we don't go through a few REM cycles per night, it stands to reason that anyone who's getting a reasonable amount of sleep should have two or three dreams per night, but remember very few of them.

I prefer not remembering my dreams. Sure I miss out on flying or whatever else people do in their dreams, but I also get to skip the potentially disturbing images that go along with it. I haven't had a proper nightmare in over a decade.

Incidentally, when I was younger I used to dream lucidly on occasion. I don't know what triggered it or how it happened, but I do remember occasionally deciding that I didn't like how a dream was going and deciding to change it as a consequence. This sometimes lead to a sort of struggle, as my subconscious seemingly wanted a dream to go in a direction that my 'conscious' mind (if that's the right term) didn't agree with. I would make a change, only to discover that as soon as I stopped concentrating on it it would revert.

I have no idea if that experience is typical.

12-18-2009, 04:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	My understanding of it is that it has more to do with when you wake up. Dreams mostly occur during the REM phase of sleep. If you're woken up while that's occurring, you'll likely remember it. If you're woken up during another phase of sleep, however, you're far less likely to be dreaming, and therefore far less likely to remember a dream. We only remember the ones that are interrupted. If my understanding of the situation is accurate, remembering your dreams wouldn't be related to the quality or quantity of sleep you get per se, but more with your individual rhythms and at what point in your sleep cycle you're typically awakened. People who tend to wake naturally, like myself, don't often remember dreams, because coming out of sleep on your own generally means you'll wake up during one of the shallower phases. Again, this is just my understanding, but I believe that dreaming is strongly tied to REM sleep. Since we don't function well if we don't go through a few REM cycles per night, it stands to reason that anyone who's getting a reasonable amount of sleep should have two or three dreams per night, but remember very few of them. I prefer not remembering my dreams. Sure I miss out on flying or whatever else people do in their dreams, but I also get to skip the potentially disturbing images that go along with it. I haven't had a proper nightmare in over a decade. Incidentally, when I was younger I used to dream lucidly on occasion. I don't know what triggered it or how it happened, but I do remember occasionally deciding that I didn't like how a dream was going and deciding to change it as a consequence. This sometimes lead to a sort of struggle, as my subconscious seemingly wanted a dream to go in a direction that my 'conscious' mind (if that's the right term) didn't agree with. I would make a change, only to discover that as soon as I stopped concentrating on it it would revert. I have no idea if that experience is typical. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame