They clarify some of the factors that influence the memory of dreams
2025/02/21 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
What factors influence the ability to remember dreams? To answer this question, researchers from the IMT Institute of Lucca and the University of Camerino have studied 200 people aged 18-70 between 2022-2024. And they conclude that, in addition to personal factors, the environment also influences the memory of dreams.
Each volunteer, within 15 days, had to give an account of his dreams: whether he had the feeling of having dreamed and, if so, what he remembered about the dream and what sensations he had had. In addition, during this period, the volunteers were provided with a portable electroencephalogram to monitor sleep duration, quality and fluctuations. They were also subjected to questionnaires to measure various psychological aspects: attitude to dreams, tendency to walk during the day in nightmares, memory, attention...
Thus, the researchers conclude that from person to person there is a great difference in the ability to remember dreams, which is also influenced by many factors. For example, those who are optimistic about their dreams are more likely to remember them, even those who tend to walk in their dreams.
The characteristics of sleep and age have been found to have a strong influence. On the one hand, those who follow long periods of sleep remember their dreams more often than those who have fragmented sleep. On the other hand, young people are also more likely to remember their dreams, while in older people it is common to have the feeling of having dreamed but not remembering the content. The researchers also suggest an explanation for this: they believe that the memory process during sleep is likely to change with age.
Finally, it has been confirmed that it is also influenced by the season: in spring dreams are remembered more than in winter. From this they conclude that the environment or circadian rhythm can influence the memory of dreams.
The study, published in the journal Communications Psychology, suggests that it may also be useful in the clinic, in the study of pathologies about dreams, and in the diagnosis of certain disorders, for example.
