My inquiry question for my semester 2 project: “Why are dreams so hard to remember?”
To answer my big question, I came up with 3 mini questions that would help further my research. For research round 2, my big question was ‘What makes us remember some dreams and forget others?”
Ever since I can remember, I have wondered why we remember some dreams while forgetting others. The part of our brain that is included in remembering dreams is the temporoparietal junction (1). This part of the brain processes information and emotions which is why it plays such an important part in remembering our dreams. Although this is not what affects whether we remember our dreams or not, I feel it is important to know how much of a big role it plays in dreaming overall. Another important aspect that many probably wouldn’t think about is about how much sleep we get! The less sleep we get when we are in the ‘REM or rapid eye movement’ part, the less likely we are to remember our dreams the next day. This is simply because our brain gets tired during the night and is not able to process what we dreamt of to its full capability. Another reason we remember some dreams and forget others relates to the second point; it being that we actually dream too much for our brans to remember it all (2). A typical night includes 2-3 hours of intense dreaming, leaving the rest to fall asleep and recall the dreams from before. Humans tend to remember the last dream out of the many because it is the closest to when we are about to wake up.
FUN FACT ABOUT REMEMBERING DREAMS! (3)
- Females are more likely to remember their dreams at night. Scientists say the reason for this is because as teenagers, boys are told to bottle up their emotions and feelings while girls are told to let it all out. This affects them in the future as it becomes a routine to bottle everything in leading to un-interesting and more forgettable dreams.
Citations:
- Why do some people always remember their dreams, while others almost … (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/why-do-some-people-always-remember-their-dreams-while-others-almost-never
2. Why do we remember some dreams and not others? – BBC science focus magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-we-remember-some-dreams-and-not-others/
3. Why some people always remember their dreams and others forget – healthline. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/remembering-dreams-psychology
Hi Anannya,
I have always wondered why I remember some dreams but not other and this really helped answer that question. I like how you writing is clear and gets to the point, this made it easy to understand. I found it very interesting how females tend to remember more dreams due to societal pressures and stereotypes forced upon people. I look forward to reading you next post !
-Sammie
Hey Anannya,
This was such an interesting post! I never knew that humans dream for about 2-3 hours, and it makes so much sense that we’re most likely to remember the most recent thing we dreamed about! I loved reading this, and I’m looking forward to seeing your final round of research. Good luck!
-Shaila