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Even though you dream during your whole REM sleep, some studies show that you may dream all night long. Still, sometimes you wake up with no memories of your dreams at all. There’s just blankness. Even when you do remember, you gradually start forgetting throughout the day. So why does it work like this? We will try to explore the connection between dreams and memories in this article and answer questions like “why do we dream,” “why do we dream of our memories,” and “why do we feel like we’ve dreamt of a moment we lived.”
Why do we dream?
People are wondering why we dream for decades. Even though studies of dreams are relatively new and unexplored, we started to get a better grasp of dreams—thanks to several scientific studies. For example, research shows that REM sleep is a phase of sleep during which dreams occur, and dreaming during REM sleep is vital for your physical and mental health. Here are some possible functions of dreams, backed by academic and scientific studies.
- According to an article, people who can’t dream experience more stress, anxiety, and concentration difficulties. So dreaming is a tool that enhances and regulates your bodily and mental functions.
- In dreams, you experience the emotions you feel during the day. In your dreams, you have a chance to express positive and negative feelings, which enables you to relax.
- A study shows that the REM sleep stage is effective in the repetition and reinforcement of what you learn in daily life. So this feature makes a healthy sleep and dreaming particularly important for students.
Why do we dream of our memories?
A study has shown that the places, people, and events you dream about are related to your memories. Therefore, when a waking life event reminds you of the past, you are more likely to dream about a memory. In such cases, the question may be: How does this memory dream make you feel?
Things linked to positive emotions, such as repeating something that made you happy in the past or being with a good old friend, may reveal good memories in your dream. On the contrary, if you are going through a tough period, your brain is more likely to pick up bad memories and carry those to your dreams. As a result, dreams and memories have a strong connection, researchers interpret their observations.
Why do we feel like we’ve dreamt of a moment we lived?
There have been moments when you felt you had experienced a situation that you are currently experiencing. You probably know that’s called déjà vu. There may also be moments when you think you have experienced that particular event in your dream. Déjà rêvé is the name for that feeling. An article says déjà rêvé can occur in different forms. In such cases, you may be in a state that requires extra attention. Emotionally, you may feel fear, anxiety, or other negative emotions.
Record your dreams with the dream journal
Reliving your memories in your dreams can happen for many different reasons. By recording these dreams with Dreambook, you can discover better results as to their causes. In particular, writing down your feelings and thoughts about these dreams will provide helpful findings with the help of Dreambook’s features. For example, if you write down dreams and tag your dream entries about your memories, you can discover how often you dream about the past and what triggers those dreams. If you are experiencing intense negative emotions, it would be good to consult a professional.