During the REM phase is when the most vivid dreams are usually experienced, as brain activity resembles that of wakefulness. Intense emotions contribute to reinforcing memory, thereby facilitating the recall of what was dreamed. Additionally, an individual's personality can influence their ability to remember dreams, and those with positive dreams often wake up in a more optimistic mood.
Studies suggest that more open individuals tend to recall their dreams more frequently, although the timing and manner in which we wake up are determining factors in our ability to remember what was dreamed. Night awakenings, for example, increase the likelihood of remembering dreams by elevating cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which directs attention toward the demands of the day rather than the contents of the dream.
The phase of sleep we are in when waking is essential for remembering dreams, and those who record their dreams tend to be less emotionally sensitive to neutral stimuli during the day. The emotional intensity of dreams also influences our ability to remember them, with emotionally intense dreams or those linked to important experiences being easier to recall.
Dreams serve key functions in emotional and cognitive processing, as well as in the consolidation of memories, especially those related to recent activities. The sleep cycle is divided into one REM phase and three non-REM (NREM) phases, with the sleep phase we wake from being crucial for recalling what was dreamed. Sudden awakenings, such as those caused by an alarm, can interrupt this dreaming memory consolidation.
Despite advances in research, the exact process that occurs in the brain while we sleep remains a mystery. Experts like Erin Wamsley and Jing Zhang have delved into the importance of various factors in the ability to remember dreams, highlighting the relevance of emotions, the sleep phase, and how we wake up in this process.
