Dreaming about forgetting the dream
Almost nobody does not dream. Recall varies enormously and is affected by things you can change, which makes this the most actionable entry in the database for anybody who thinks they have nothing to record.
Also searched as: i cannot remember my dreams, losing a dream on waking, no dream recall, i do not dream
Dream recall is not the same as dreaming. People woken from REM in a laboratory report dreams the great majority of the time, including people who believe they never dream.
The loss is fast. Recall decays within minutes of waking and is heavily affected by whether anything intervenes, which is why looking at a phone first thing is the most effective way to destroy a dream.
Recall improves with attention. People who start a journal report more dreams within days, and this is one of the better documented effects in the area.
Waking naturally rather than to an alarm, and staying still on waking, both help.
Common associations
- Recall, not dreaming, which is the whole distinction.
- Fast decay, within minutes.
- Interference, which is the main enemy.
- Attention, which reliably improves it.
Positive readings
The most immediately useful entry here. A person who believes they do not dream can usually change that within a week, and the interventions cost nothing.
Lie still on waking, write before moving, do not check a phone, and keep something to write on within reach.
Difficult readings
Very little, though it is worth saying that increased recall means increased recall of unpleasant dreams too, and people beginning a journal are sometimes surprised by that.
Psychological perspectives
REM awakenings produce dream reports the large majority of the time, including from people who report never dreaming, which establishes that the variable is recall rather than dreaming.
The neurochemistry of REM is unfavourable to consolidation, which is a plausible reason dreams are so poorly retained by default.
Interference is the main practical factor. Attention on waking is directed at whatever arrives first, and a dream that is not attended to within a minute or two is usually gone.
Cultural and historical
Dream recall is treated as a skill in a number of traditions, with practices around waking, and Tibetan dream yoga among others has instruction on exactly that.
The modern journal is a thinner version of the same idea and works for the same reason: attention.
What the sleep science says
Well documented: REM awakenings produce dream reports the majority of the time, including in people who believe they do not dream.
Well documented: dream recall decays rapidly on waking and improves substantially with journalling.
Reasonably supported: interference on waking as the main practical obstacle.
Your own context
- What is the first thing you do on waking?
- Do you wake to an alarm?
- Is there anything to write on within reach?
- Have you tried lying still for a minute?
If this recurs
This is the entry that makes every other entry usable. A week of writing on waking, before moving, typically produces more material than a year of intending to.
Emotions often reported
- frustration
- curiosity
- melancholy
- longing
- relief
- confusion
Specific forgetting the dream dreams
Each of these is written separately, not generated from this page.
What happened
What state it was in
Questions for reflection
These are for your journal, not for us. Nothing you write is shared.
- What do I do in the first minute awake?
- Do I have anything to write on?
- Did I move before trying to remember?
Dream interpretation is subjective. Nothing here is a diagnosis, a prediction, or medical advice.
Sources and reviewed references
No sources are attached to this page yet. It has not been through editorial review. How we review material
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