Table of Contents
Introduction
When was the last time you remember your dreams? Dreaming is defined as the visualization of images and stories by the human mind. People in general often have different kinds of dreams. To some, it may be a romantic or an entertaining dream, while to others it can be disturbing, frightening, or even a nightmare. The scientific fact behind the cause of the occurrence of dreams during our sleep still exists as a mystery to all the scientists and psychological doctors around the globe. But many theorists have made their hypothesis regarding the root cause of dreaming along with some other fun facts.
Amusing facts on dream
As mentioned before, some theories interpret a dream as the mere representation of an individual’s unconscious desires and wishes. Apart from being a part of our sleep cycle, dream aids enhance our learning skills and long-term memory power. Additionally, a person is said to have at least 4 to 6 dreams in a sleep span of 8 hours, with each dream having a period of 20 to 30 minutes.
Phases in a sleep cycle
Ever wondered in which phase of the sleep cycle does a person dream? Yes, you heard it right. There are different stages in a sleep cycle before getting into the dreaming state. The stages before getting into the REM (rapid eye movement) stage are identified as the non-REM stage. Most of the dreaming takes place in the REM stage and it takes about nearly 2 hours to progress into the dreaming state.
At times one may also dream during the other stages, but the likelihood to remember these dreams will be less. A person may only remember the dream when they are awakened while dreaming during the REM phase. The scientific fact behind the difficulty to remember the dream is associated with a chemical in the brain named norepinephrine. This is a hormone associated with recalling memories. Due to the low levels of norepinephrine during the sleep cycle, the ability to recall the dream is also low.
But are you curious to explore the fantasy world you were living in while dreaming? Follow the tips to remember your dreams.
1. Make it a habit to remember your dreams
If you want to recall your dreams, make it a habit to consciously remember them. Moreover, convince yourself that if you want to recall, nothing can stop you from remembering it. This is where one must acknowledge the power of the subconscious mind. Unlike the conscious mind, the subconscious mind accepts the instructions and visualizations we manifest in our minds.
No matter how impossible it may seem, our conscious mind will process it with the consistent manifestation of the same thought. When we feed our minds with the urge to remember our dreams, our minds will mechanically attract the miraculous power to make it happen. Therefore, right when you wake up, try to remember your dreams.
2. A comfortable sleeping environment
As discussed earlier, there are various stages to pass through before a person progresses into the dreaming state. So, it is essential to not interrupt the flow of the sleep cycle when an individual sleeps. A comfortable and sleep-friendly environment is what fuels the perpetuation of an uninterrupted sleep cycle. Therefore ensure that you sleep in a place where it is quiet, calm, dark, and cool.
3. Stick on to a sleeping schedule
Following a solid sleeping schedule can improve the quality of your sleep as well as strengthen your sleep hygiene. Power down your body by making your body at ease through meditation and relaxation. Follow a pre-sleeping routine like reading a book or taking a warm shower to induce sleep.
Setting this tone makes it easier for you to get into drowsy mode. Once you get aligned with a particular sleeping routine, say like 10 pm to 6 pm every day, your body will mechanically set the internal clock. Following a particular sleeping schedule escalates the chances to wake your body up immediately after the REM phase. Waking up immediately after the aforesaid phase is extremely beneficial to recall the dreams, for most of the dreaming takes place during the REM (rapid eye movement phase).
4. Dream journal
If you are curious to remember your dreams, make it a practice to jot down your dream. Chances are high that you hesitate to write long paragraphs right after you wake up. Moreover, it may not be necessary that you remember the plot of the dream as such. The distinct visuals of the dream might linger in your mind hither and thither. Therefore, to connect these memory lanes, take down the keywords that you can associate with the visuals that pop up in your mind.
Later, these instances constructed through the keywords written will aid to trigger the dream you had. Additionally, while waking up, remember not to jump out of the bed abruptly. Take it slow and keep your eyes closed. Opening the eyes and looking around can distract your thoughts upon seeing various things in the bedroom. Therefore, keeping your eyes partially opened, and quickly jot down what you remember. Stick on to this habit persistently and amuse yourself the way you helped your brain to recall dreams in the easiest way possible.
Conclusion
Dreams are hallucinations that occur during your sleep cycle. Your brain might either be exposing your unconscious desires or consolidating and programming the incidents that happened in recent times. These are just two possible explanations as to why we dream. There exist other reasons as well. If you are sincerely eager and curious to remember your dreams and hence trace the dream journey, follow the aforementioned simple, yet challenging tips.
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