If you don't dream (or more likely, don't remember dreaming), it usually means you're missing essential REM sleep, which can lead to fatigue, poor memory, difficulty concentrating, and increased stress; long-term lack of REM sleep is linked to health issues like depression, obesity, and inflammation, though some people naturally recall fewer dreams without apparent harm, making it important to distinguish between not remembering and actually not dreaming.
It's common not to remember your dreams, but not having any dreams at all, ever, is a symptom of psychosis. Most people who think they don't dream simply ``sleep through their dreams'' meaning they might have some form of exhaustion or other mental problem or block.
Short answer: yes--occasional absence of remembered dreams is common and usually harmless; persistent lack of dream recall can reflect sleep patterns, medications, stress, or rare sleep disorders and may warrant attention if accompanied by other symptoms.
No. There are people who are not aware that they dream, but none that never do. Dreaming -- and the REM sleep that goes with it -- is a natural biological function. Without it you would likely go insane.
While every human being so far as we know exhibits REM sleep, not every human being reports dreams. It appears you can have REM sleep with very low dream recall or possibly without dreams entirely. There may even be groups of individuals who never recall their dreams or who do not dream.
REM/dream loss is an unrecognized public health hazard that silently wreaks havoc with our lives, contributing to illness, depression, and an erosion of consciousness.
It's very possible that, despite every effort, dream memory isn't in your wheelhouse. If that's the case, it's entirely okay, and it doesn't indicate any faults in your brain or your health.
Most of the time, it's better to get two hours of sleep over none. Even short naps can boost your alertness and mood. You may feel groggy after the two hours, so give yourself enough time to fully wake up before you need to be “on.”
Dreamless sleep may be thought of as a state of objectless, pure consciousness, as discussed in the Upanishads. Even if there be such a state, dreamless sleep can provide no experience or memories, and its existence tends to be a matter of philosophical supposition, speculation, or faith.
So no, having your eyes closed in bed does not count as sleep, but it's not like it's not beneficial either. Quiet wakefulness is an intermediary step for all of us to get to sleep on a healthy schedule, unless we are accustomed to being so exhausted we fall asleep within seconds of laying down.
Out of the participants, 2.7 percent reported they had not dreamed for at least 10 years, while 1.1 percent said they had never dreamed. In many of these participants' cases, however, their actions during sleep implied they were dreaming.
Food and Dreams
CHANGING SITUATION. When our circumstances change, we may struggle with redefining our purpose and can feel unfulfilled as a result. You may be starting a new career or a new family, and your old ideas about your purpose in life may have changed. Our purpose is closely linked with our identity, values and sense of self ...
Charcot–Wilbrand syndrome. Charcot–Wilbrand syndrome (CWS) is dream loss following focal brain damage specifically characterised by visual agnosia and loss of ability to mentally recall or "revisualize" images.
Some people recall their dreams clearly. Others feel like they never dream at all. That said, not dreaming usually has to do with underlying sleep disorders, health conditions, or various medication effects.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to help regulate your sleep cycle and increase the likelihood of dreaming. To get enough REM sleep, aim for 7–9 hours of sleep each night. 💙 Try relaxing an hour before bed with Soften Into Sleep, a meditation that can help you release tension at night.
The rarest type of dream is often considered to be the lucid dream, where you are aware you're dreaming and can sometimes control the dream's narrative, with only a small percentage of people experiencing them regularly, though many have had one spontaneously. Even rarer are dreams with specific, unusual content, like dreaming of doing math, or experiencing rare neurological conditions like Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome, where people lose the ability to visualize dreams.
The 3-2-1 sleep rule is a simple wind-down routine: stop eating and drinking alcohol 3 hours before bed, stop working/mentally stimulating activities 2 hours before, and turn off screens (phones, TVs) 1 hour before sleep, helping you transition to rest by reducing stimulants and preparing your mind and body. It's often part of a larger 10-3-2-1-0 rule, which also adds no caffeine 10 hours prior and no hitting snooze (0) in the morning.
According to Goll, warning dreams are still very much a thing. In fact, God may actually prefer to warn us in our sleep because we're less likely to get distracted. Dreams that are “sticky” get our attention and spur us into action. “They feel like flypaper,” he says.
The koala is famous for sleeping around 20-22 hours a day, which is about 90% of the day, due to their low-energy diet of eucalyptus leaves that requires extensive digestion. Other extremely sleepy animals include the sloth (up to 20 hours) and the brown bat (around 20 hours), with some snakes like the ball python also sleeping up to 23 hours daily.
closing your eyes to the value of sleep
Resting with your eyes closed can calm your mind and help your muscles to relax. Your blood pressure drops and your heart rate slows. Resting can also: reduce stress.
Drinks to help you sleep
Additionally, stress can cause frequent awakenings, making it harder to transition into the deeper stages of sleep where dreaming occurs. Even when dreams do happen, mental preoccupation with stressors may prevent dream recall when you wake up.
What does it mean if you never dream? If you never remember your dreams, it's likely because you're not getting enough REM sleep. Other causes may include stress, sleep disorders, or a lack of interest in dreams. Not remembering your dreams is relatively uncommon — nearly 84% of Americans remember dreaming most nights.
Alcohol can fuel intense dreams and nightmares as sleep patterns ebb and flow. This can worsen symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleepwalking and parasomnias. It's well known that a few drinks may nudge people toward doing or saying things — and that includes when you sleep.