Why Do Some People Forget Their Dreams?

Some people vividly remember their dreams upon waking, describing them in great detail, while others retain no trace of them. This phenomenon, known as dream recall—the ability to wake up with clear memories of dream experiences—has been studied by researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca and described in a paper published in Communications Psychology. The study explores the factors influencing this ability, considering both individual traits and sleep patterns that shape it.

Until now, the reasons why some individuals remember their dreams while others do not remained uncertain. Previous studies suggested that women, young people, and individuals prone to daydreaming tend to recall dreams more frequently. However, this hypothesis has not been unanimously confirmed across all research on the subject. Other studies have linked dream recall to specific personality traits or cognitive abilities, but these theories have also received limited scientific support.

Interest in this phenomenon increased during the pandemic, prompting new investigations, including a study conducted in collaboration with the University of Camerino between 2020 and 2024. This study involved over 200 participants, aged 18 to 70, who were asked to record their dreams every morning for 15 days. Upon waking, each participant used a voice recorder to describe their dream experiences, noting sensations, impressions, and the degree of dream awareness—whether they clearly remembered the content, had only a vague sense of having dreamed, or had no memory at all. Meanwhile, researchers monitored the participants’ sleep patterns and cognitive functions using wearable devices and psychometric tests. Throughout the study, participants also wore an actigraph, a wristwatch-like device that tracks sleep duration, efficiency, and disturbances.

At the beginning and end of the observation period, participants underwent psychological tests and questionnaires assessing various factors, including anxiety levels, interest in dreams, tendency to mind-wander (the habit of frequently shifting attention from a task to unrelated thoughts or internal reflections), and selective memory and attention abilities. The findings revealed significant individual differences in dream recall, influenced by multiple factors. Notably, individuals with a positive attitude toward dreams and a propensity for mind-wandering were significantly more likely to remember their dreams.

The study also highlighted age-related differences: younger participants recalled their dreams more frequently than older individuals, who often experienced white dreams—the sensation of having dreamed without remembering any details. This suggests that memory processes during sleep may change with age. Additionally, seasonal variations in dream recall emerged, with a lower likelihood of remembering dreams in winter compared to spring, hinting at the potential influence of environmental or circadian factors.

“Our data suggest that dream recall is the result of an interaction between personal attitudes, cognitive traits, and sleep dynamics,” explains Giulio Bernardi, professor of General Psychology at the IMT School and lead author of the study. “These insights deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying dreaming and open new perspectives on its role in mental health and consciousness research.”

“The data collected in this project will serve as a reference for future comparisons with clinical populations,” adds Valentina Elce, researcher at the IMT School and first author of the study, “helping advance research on pathological dream alterations and their potential diagnostic and prognostic value.”