How often and how well do you remember your dreams?

1. 61

   Devanniposted 14 years ago

   Hello there.
   The reason I ask is that I've been diagnosed with a condition of which one of the symptoms is poor dream recall.  More importantly, the improvement of dream recall is used to determine the effectiveness of treatment.  I've always assumed I was fairly typical in terms of remembering my dreams, but I really don't know.
   I was hoping to get some input, and I would very much appreciate any insights into your own experiences.  Do you remember them only briefly after you've awoken?  Do you awake with the sense that you have dreamed, but the dream itself just out of reach?  How often do you have any awareness of dreams? 
   Just throwing out a few questions to try and give an idea what I'm looking for, but to be honest, I'm interested in anythig you're willing to share regarding your dreaming patterns, and dreams in general, as I find it an intriguing subject.
   Thanks!

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      writer268posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hey Devanni,
      I have always been the type who remembers those dreams that evoke emotion. In fact, just last night one of my dream sequences (although it made no sense at all) had the strong emotion of fear attached to it. When I woke this am, I could recall that part of the dream vividly but not the rest of it. There are some mornings where I wake up knowing that I've dreamt, but cannot recall what.

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   2. 60

      Brooke Lorrenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I do remember my dreams on occasion.  The ones I have now are usually apocalyptic dreams.  The last one I dreamed was so realistic, I couldn't go back to sleep write away.  I wrote it down, and then I still was a little nervous when I went back to sleep.
      
      I was something like a stand in for some politician, I think.  That's not the part I remember vividly.
      
      The world was on the verge of war.  Evidently, the US was telling other countries what to do, and it was putting foreign countries at risk.
      
      I was in a car, driving along a highway, and I saw a missile fly through the air.  "There they go again" the driver of the car said.  Then, as we drove, more missiles started flying, until one after another after another was being shot off.  I woke up when one of the missiles hit our car.
      
      Whenever I have a dream like that, I take note of the date and time.

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   3. 81

      vox vocisposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I mostly remember my dreams as they are very vivid and full of real emotions. Sometimes I have nightmares and I think about them the whole day or even longer. There are dreams that I dreamt years ago and even today I somehow remember them. In most cases my dreams make no sense, yet, sometimes I know and feel that they are very meaningful (but cannot figure out what they mean exactly) ???

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   4. 64

      rcrm89posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If it's a really unusual and/or vivid and/or emotionally powerful dream it's easier to remember (the less so the easier it is to forget), as it is when you experience an event IRL..
      
      I've started keeping a dream journal over the last couple of months, which has really helped dream recall and it has increased my incidence of lucid dreaming (in fact I had one just the night before).
      
      Going to sleep with the intention to recall you dream does work for me.

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2. 60

   joaniembposted 14 years ago

   When I was younger I remember my dreams now that i am older I do not remember all of my dreams sometimes I only remember parts of them.
   
   When I was 8 years old my Dad died from cancer. Two years later my Mom met a wonderful man and was planning to marry. I still to this day remember this dream vividly......I was in the park playing with my cousin and a man on a park bench called me over. He began to ask me questions about my Mom getting married. He said so I hear your Mom is going to get married, is this man good to your Mom, and how does he treat you. When I woke I remember thinking OMG that was my Dad. Was it my Dad trying to make sure everything was OK I guess I will never know.
   
   My Mom passed away in Feb. of 2009 and I so wish i would dream of her. Just to see her again and talk to her even if it was just a dream. Who knows maybe some day.

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      china manposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is not hard to dream of your Mum, you probably do all the time.  The trick is remembering hte dream I would say - sleep researchers and therapists get people to set an alarm to wake at specific times and write down their dreams.  I believe you will find that people who don't remember dreams, like me, sleep at deep levels.  When I was working round the clock shift with the tides and interrupting my sleep patterns badly I dreamed or remembered my dreams all the time.

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3. 59

   Jeramiposted 14 years ago

   When I was younger I dreamed all kinds of dreams. Only remembered the last one before waking up.
      I have read that these dreams represent potential futures that we subconsciously choose from.
      These sometimes appear to be prophetic. I guess sometimes they are.
      As we get older our options are greatly reduced and so are our dreams. Sometimes dreams deal with past events that we enjoyed or didn't enjoy. Sometimes these dreams deal with issues that are unresolved. Nightmares usually fall under that category; I think?
     Sometimes they are purely for our reliving a joyous time in our life. 
      Dreams have many purposes.

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4. 83

   Jewelsposted 14 years ago

   Wow!  This is the first time I've heard of bad dream recall being a condition.  Do you get pills for that?
   
   The only dreams I remember are prophetic ones and they come in technicolor. For some reason this happens and it's like I'm 'supposed to remember them.'
   
   Otherwise I'm off in a blissful state oblivious to anything and I have no problems with this at all.  Enough happens during the waking state to have to worry about the dreams in a sleeping state.

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      Devanniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      No, it's just one of many symptoms.  But I guess dream recall is an indicator that the treatment is sufficient.  Correct dosage and whatnot.  It's a genetic blood disorder called Pyroluria.  Yep, there are pills!  Haha.  Massive doses of B6 and Zinc with a few other supportive things.

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         Jewelsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Glad to hear the pills are for your blood disorder, but if anyone starts giving out pills to help dream recall I'll go to another planet!

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5. 87

   WryLiltposted 14 years ago

   I have very good dream recall - sometimes.
   
   I can still remember a terrible nightmare I had when I was about 3 - there was a dog made of jelly and my mother was just a pair of legs.
   
   I remember a scarily real dream when I was a teen - I was a maid working for an 18th century lady and I helped her escape her house.
   
   I wrote a hub about one of my recent dreams, about an Airport.

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6. 60

   JayDeckposted 14 years ago

   Occasionally, i will have such clear and vivid dream recall that days later i will recall something i saw and actually have to think about whether or not it was in a dream. Usually, it begins with me saying to myself, "Where would you have seen that?" Then i go over where i have been recently, determine if i had occasion to see said sight, if not: must have been a dream. I am not totally insane, as this is only an occasional occurence.
   One tip for remembering dreams is to keep a notepad by your bedside and write down what you remember upon waking. This method has been floating around forever. Another is to find a way to gently wake yourself during the night and then record what you remember. You may also try meditation strategies to increase awareness of your body's movement into and out of alpha and theta waves.
   Good luck!

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7. 65

   Ivorwenposted 14 years ago

   I only seem to remember dreams that I wake up during, which has been quite a few lately.

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      marcofratelliposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I'm the same I think. I have never heard of "remembering your dreams" as being part of the effectiveness of a treatment, that's new to me. As far as dream content goes, I wouldn't get hung up on the content itself.

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8. 61

   luvpassionposted 14 years ago

   Don't get upset! At first, you may only remember a small portion of your dream.
   
   With patients and the more you work with your memory, the more easier it will be to recall you dreams.
   
   You will remember larger and larger chunks of your dream.  Eventually dream recall will come automatically.
   
   Some suggestions:
   
   Before you go to bed, clear your mind...a busy mind distracts from the process of dreaming. Tell yourself that you will remember your dream.
   
   Keep a piece of paper and pencil on your nighstand so you might write any memories you may have down.
   
   Don't get out of bed immediatly after waking from a dream, lie still, relax and search your memory.
   
   Avoid stimulates to fall asleep. There are many more.
   
   Teri

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9. 59

   katiem2posted 14 years ago

   I don't remember dreams at all

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      Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hey Katie, I'm the same way.

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10. 0

    ucangetfitposted 14 years ago

    I do not remember mine either. I remembered them when I was on Chatix but usually I do not, ever. I wish I did.

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    1. 61

       Devanniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I had a similar experience with Prozac way back when.

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11. 0

    lambservantposted 14 years ago

    Dreaming makes for a fascinating topic. But since you are not asking because of educational interest, I will spare you all my lofty thoughts and learnings that don't add to a hill of beans.
    
    I have always been a "living color, surround sound dolby sound system," kind of dreamer. It has gotten particularly bad when I take certain medications. However much I do remember when I wake up (and I do remember80% of the time,) I often wake up and can't quite catch the memory. I can remember a feeling, or a character, but cannot remember the whole enchilada.
    
    I have also gone through periods when I didn't remember my dreams. I miss the excitement of my dreams and the vividness of them (with the exception of nightmares of course)but I must say, I have found myself more well rested when I don't remember. Medications can really make a big disturbance in sleep quality and dreaming. If you're having a problem you might want to talk to your doctor.

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12. 58

    spookyfoxposted 14 years ago

    Do you keep a dreams jorunal? I didn't remember a single dream for years until I started one. The first nights I filled a whole page each time but as the enthusiasm dropped a little I've just been able to write a few lines. I recall my dreams better when I wake up, stay awake for a bit, and then sleep a bit more in the mornings, which I started doing because I've heard there was more chances of lucid dreaming that way. I think the duration of REM sleep increseases as you're more time asleep.

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    1. 61

       Devanniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I used to keep a journal, and I did notice I remembered my dreams more often, with more clarity and completeness.  I'd been toying with the idea of keeping one again, but then I got this diagnoses, and obviously keeping the journal would have been detrimental to figuring out the effectiveness of the treatment.  Hopefully one day I'll be able to give that another shot.

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13. 83

    lex123posted 14 years ago

    I occasionally see dreams in my sleep and some of them I can remember when I wake up. I'd like to spend sometime recalling it. If it is a bad dream I get up immediately and for sometime I don't like to continue my sleep, because I'm afraid I may see the balance of the scene. I will change my mind and mood and only then I go back to sleep. What I noticed is that if I don't recall the dream soon after I wake up later I won't be able to remember it.

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14. 69

    Diane Insideposted 14 years ago

    I seem to go through spurts, like there will be times when I can't remember any dreams for months, then for some reason I will remember two or three dreams in  one week. Some are very obscure to me and others I know exactly why I was dreaming that.
    
    I do remember a couple of dreams from childhood very vividly, because they were recurring dreams. I remember One dream in particular that I had several nights straight in a row.
    
    It was scary so I hated going to bed at night.

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15. 58

    Abby2034posted 13 years ago

    I know whenever I take nyquil I get vivid dreams. The position I fall asleep in usualy affects my dreams, I noticed I have nightmares more frequently when I sleep on my back and stomach,and they are generaly easier to recall then when I sleep on my sides.

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    guy1973posted 13 years ago

    i used to have the same problem for some time but after a while all turned back to normal. but i have to admit there are some dreams that are sometimes hard to remeber.

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17. 60

    web file backupposted 13 years ago

    Having a dream journal improves dream recall - the effect is quite amazing. Just keep a notepad and pen by your bedside and grab them when you wake up even if you think you don't remember anything. Many times, I started writing 'I dreamed about something but don't remember', and it served as a trigger for the dream to come back in vivid details.

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18. 65

    lakeerieartistsposted 13 years ago

    What an interesting question!  I knew that not getting to the dream state was a problem with sleep, but if not remembering dreams is an issue, I am in sore trouble.
    
    I remember some dreams immediately after I wake up, but soon after forget them completely except for a "boy that was a wierd dream" scenario.
    
    I almost never remember any dreams at all.  My teenagers seem to remember dreams better than I do, so age may have something to do with it.

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       Pixienotposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I dream in living color and always in drama mode.  As a matter of fact some of my dreams aer so real that I'm using them to base a novel on. 
       
       I also have recurring dreams which make no sense to me, but they are usually in the same background, same house, etc.
       
       I have dreams that are so real that I try to go back to sleep to see what happens next.  I'm not too successful there.
       
       Devanni, I would not worry about it.  Keeping a journal does help rrecall, but so does a grocery list. 
       
       I don't know what disease you have.  And I'm not asking. Perhaps, just maybe you might want a second opinion from another doctor in the same field, but not the same office.  Can't hurt.
       
       I certainly wish you well in all that you endeavor to do.  Happy  New Year!

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19. 78

    KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

    I remember most of my dreams, but sometimes only parts of them.  Sometimes they come flooding back later in the day when something seems to trigger them. 
    
    I lost my son in 2003 and I have had a few dreams of him.  They are most precious and I remember each of them very well.  The very first one I had of him was about a month after he died.  In the dream he comes up to me asks me why we didn't watch a specific movie and why we didn't buy him a T-shirt and I calmly and matter of factly tell him "because you died".  He laughs at me and says "oh" and walks away unbothered.  The T-shirt he was referring to was a shirt that his school had made in his memory.  He had just won a T-shirt logo contest and never even knew it before he died.  They went ahead with the production of the shirt and dedicated them to his memory.  So, of course we never bought him a shirt.  In most of my dreams of him, he is the age he was when he died (almost 13).  In some of them he's younger. 
    
    I've been successful a couple of times where I wake up and want to fall back asleep so that I can continue the dream.  That doesn't always work for me though. 
    
    I've had two people in my life who claim to modify their dreams as they're dreaming them.  I've tried this and I haven't been totally successful yet.  I have been able to tell myself I'm only dreaming while I'm dreaming, but I still haven't mastered making the changes.  I still feel like an observer.

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20. 77

    brimancandyposted 13 years ago

    I remember a good portion of my dreams. A lot of them involve sex, and usually that I think I am about to have it, only something happens and I end up waking up, or, find myself transported to a totally different place, like in star trek.
    
    My other dreams are usually very frightening, they involve fires, being hunted like a dog, lots of falling from very high places, and monsters like you wouldn't believe. Monsters that usually chase me, and I see them rip apart someone I know along the way. I have seen myself laying on the ground dead in my dreams.
    
    I used to have horrible dreams about my job when I was a cashier. Usually me being the only cashier in the whole store with a Disneyland maze of people with shopping carts trying check out their items while I ring them up in my underwear, while the boss stands behind me with a whip or cattle prod zapping me everying time I need a rest. Or people with items so tiny it's almost impossible to find the bar code without a microscope...like they are trying to buy air, or the product they have vanishes when I try to scan it. Or, customers that are vampires, just waiting to bite me and drain my blood.
    
    The funny thing is the reality of actually working there was worse than my dreams, and I wished I was dreaming half the time that I worked there. I'm so glad that I no longer do.

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21. 61

    Jaggedfrostposted 13 years ago

    I figure that if I don't remember a dream the next day it wasn't worth remembering.

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22. 60

    nekolifeposted 13 years ago

    I often have strange dreams, especially about animals. I have read that dreaming about animals can have a meaning. It can also just be psychological of course or as I read in the "Tao" It`s just another life that is connected to our waking life, if that makes sense?. Sometimes dreams can be scary but I don`t let it bother me too much.

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23. 91

    melporposted 13 years ago

    Poor dream recall is not unusual or a sign of a problem. Most people do not remember their dreams because a lot of variables are at play here. Whether you know it or not you have several dreams a night and in most cases people wake up in the morning remembering their last dream and If you do not reached the REM (Rapid eye movement) stage of your sleep you will not have dreams.  Finally to answer your question, I remember at least one dream from each night and I am able to talk about it the during the day.

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    Rafiniposted 13 years ago

    I usually remember my dreams as I'm waking up but if it doesn't appear to be fascinating I let it slip away.  If it does seem fascinating, I'll lay there thinking back to remember it - haven't gotten the idea, yet, to keep a dream journal next to the bed - and then I'll forget it after I get up. (except a few - they were exceptional dreams that I'll never forget)

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25. 0

    Aleister888posted 13 years ago

    I rarely remember my dreams, but when i do they tend to be quite vivid, i had a crazy one just yesterday...

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       mecheilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       that happens to me as well. remembering some parts of my dreams vividly. but what is odd is that, i would only remember them for a few minutes after waking up. after an hour or so, they'd be almost totally gone.

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26. 61

    DaNoblestposted 13 years ago

    I remember many of my dreams. Even to the point where I have trouble sleeping if they are intense enough. The feelings I experience in my dreams can last an entire day. Sometimes even longer than that.
    
    The majority of my dreams are lucid and I usually know that I am dreaming and have the option to wake up at any time or keep dreaming as well as control them to an extent.
    
    I have noticed a difference in my dreams due to certain medications. So that is definately something that could be a factor.

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    imatellmuvaposted 13 years ago

    There are times when I can't recall my dreams, but know that I've had an experience while asleep, and for the life of me can't remember what occured. Most times I do recall my dreams, for they are quite vivid, mostly shocking and disturbing, this is bothersome to me. Quite often the dreams are of familiar places. My dreams are like a tv show, always the same places, not always the same characters, but definitely always bizarre; and are of a night-mare than a dream.

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28. 84

    emilybeeposted 13 years ago

    I don't dream very often but when I do I try to repeat the dreams and say them outloud when I wake up - this way I'll remember them and can tell people or write them down later.

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