Is it normal to almost never remember any dreams?

So for as long as I can remember I've never remembered basically any dreams. Like not even simple details, It's just like when I sleep it's nothing but a void then I wake up. I don't know if this is normal because my siblings seem to remember dreams quite often. So yeah, Is it normal to almost never remember anything about your dreams?

(to be honest I'm not even sure if I do have dreams most nights)

Voting Results
86% Normal
Based on 22 votes (19 yes)
Help us keep this site organized and clean. Thanks!
[ Report Post ]
Comments ( 1 )
  • Boojum

    It's perfectly normal to not recall dreams when awake. I dismissed them as the result of just a bunch of random neurons firing off a long time ago, and I rarely remember mine.

    Scientific studies have found that all humans dream. If someone who says they never dream has electrodes placed on their scalp which measure brain activity during their sleep, the instruments show the same patterns of resting and activity during the night as are found with those who remember their dreams in vivid detail.

    Science still isn't totally clear about what function dreams serve, but they do seem to be necessary for proper brain development in childhood and correct brain function in adults.

    By the way, it has been found that all mammals and birds ever studied for brain activity while asleep also dream.

    So you definitely do have dreams but, as you say, you have problems recalling them.

    Remembering dreams is a knack that most people can learn.

    We all go through different phases of deep and shallow sleep during the night, and the phase where we dream is normally just before we start to surface. So, the next time you wake naturally - rather than being jolted awake by an alarm clock or one of your siblings doing something annoying - just lie in bed for a few moments and try to remember what you were just dreaming about. If you persist, you'll probably start to recall fragments, and then more coherent whole dreams (although dreams are rarely really coherent in the first place).

    Comment Hidden ( show )