Not remembering dreams

Hello all,

so heres the deal, i have very hard time recalling my dreams most of the time. I do smoke pot everyday and right before bed due to insomnia.
You guys think thats the reason i have hard time remembering? I have a good diet and exercise. Any other ideas?

Thanks,
DTHM

Is there a reason why you want to be able to remember your dreams? Not everyone is able to remember their dreams, it isn't usually a big problem for most?

I dream more when I cut down on green.

You guys think thats the reason i have hard time remembering?

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Clearly. Cannabis highly effectively reduces the frequency of REM sleep.

ebola

When I smoked pot and went to bed high, it was like being put under: I wouldn't remember falling asleep and would just "wake up" in a sense. Now That I'm clean (again) for over 6 months, I remember at least 2 dreams a night with a maximum of 5, usually having at least 1 lucid dream a week as well. Don't get high before bed (insomnia sucks thats why I turned to opioids for years) and train your brain to remember your dreams. Dream recall and lucid dreaming are "skills" that are developed.

your brain produces a drug when your dreaming (and right before you wake up this drug releases causing you to forget your dreams)
I have no idea why the brain works this way. However if you wake up half way through the night sometimes you will remember more of your dream.

Also Weed will mess with your memory of dreams... all drugs do I find unless your tripping which is a lot like a living dream

It has been theorized that dreams can be an overwhelming experience and not remembering them is your brain's way of protecting you from any emotional shock that might occur afterwards. My dreams are often very strange and disturbing (those that I remember), to the point where I often question my own sanity or the lack off it sometimes. I don't know how much more overwhelming dreams can get, but I find it scary to think about.

In my book that's a good an explanation as any, makes you wonder too. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

xxsicknessxx said:

your brain produces a drug when your dreaming (and right before you wake up this drug releases causing you to forget your dreams)
I have no idea why the brain works this way. However if you wake up half way through the night sometimes you will remember more of your dream.

Also Weed will mess with your memory of dreams... all drugs do I find unless your tripping which is a lot like a living dream

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Dreaming is a natural time when the body releases endogenous DMT. Similar to any trip, the brain usually finds it to be "traumatic" or intense and represses it (hence why we only remember small bits and pieces of a trip, dream, traumatic experiences, etc). Drugs that interfere with REM sleep actually prevent dreaming (SSRI's, cannabis, some prescriptions for nightmares/night terrors) and thus usually produces a less recuperative sleep (REM provides the well rested sense of sleep). Remembering dreams is a skill, can't stress that enough. Give up those types of drugs and try supplements such as 5htp, melatonin (very great), Valerian root, and some nootropics.

Serotonin101 said:

Drugs that interfere with REM sleep actually prevent dreaming

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They don't prevent dreaming, they just affect the amount and/or timing of REM sleep. For example, while strongly under the influence of cannabis, REM sleep is reduced, but when it starts to wear off REM is increased. I don't think there are any drugs that completely eliminate REM. Also you can have a very short period of REM sleep and still have dreams which felt much longer. Not remembering any dreams does not mean you didn't have any dreams.

REM provides the well rested sense of sleep

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Actually deep sleep (non-REM slow wave sleep) is the most important and restful.

Remembering dreams is a skill, can't stress that enough.

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Very true, there are entire websites devoted to techniques to remember your dreams better. Cannabis can definitely make people less likely to remember dreams.

They don't prevent dreaming, they just affect the amount and/or timing of REM sleep. For example, while strongly under the influence of cannabis, REM sleep is reduced, but when it starts to wear off REM is increased. I don't think there are any drugs that completely eliminate REM.

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Very interesting. But for me at least, the net effect is to prevent dreaming.
When I am addicted to cannabis, I don't dream (or remember dreaming) more than once a year.
When I quit, I cannot sleep for a couple of weeks due to constant dreaming.
After I am used to not smoking again, I go back to my default 1-2 dreams a night.

Swimmingdancer said:

Actually deep sleep (non-REM slow wave sleep) is the most important and restful.

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They don't know the purpose of REM sleep, do they?
If not, it is probably a bit premature to say which type of most important.

Wow, thanks for all the feedback. Im going to try and stop smoking an hour or 2 before bed from now on. Hopefully that will give me longer REM cycles.

Thanks again,
DTHM

REM helps with well rested physically while non-REM helps the mind recover (if I remember correctly, could be the other way around). What I mean (thanks for pointing this out by the way) is when under the influence that no dreaming or very little dreaming takes place (some SSRI's in some individuals have been shown to prohibit dreaming and REM sleep altogether =\ ) I remember being on zoloft and NOT dreaming at all (I am very experienced with dream recall) and going to sleep really stoned would prevent me from dreaming. I would ALWAYS wake up in a mental fog and be out of it for many hours, my body was fine but my mind was never there. Just my experience though, I'm sure these effects can vary across the board between individuals and their body chemistry.

slimvictor said:

They don't know the purpose of REM sleep, do they?
If not, it is probably a bit premature to say which type of most important.

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That's a good point, it's true we don't understand sleep very well in general. I was just pointing out that it isn't accurate that REM sleep provides the well-rested feeling. The current most widely-accepted theories based on the research are that the main functions of REM involve memory and creativity, (and CNS development in children), while deep sleep is the most important for feeling rested and refreshed. I have found this to be true for myself as well: I have a brain wave monitor that tells me exactly how much time I spend in each sleep cycle and when, and if I have a lot of REM sleep and little deep sleep I do not feel well rested at all, whereas if I have the reverse I do feel well-rested.

Serotonin101 said:

REM helps with well rested physically while non-REM helps the mind recover (if I remember correctly, could be the other way around).

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As far as is currently understood, it's the other way around

Serotonin101 said:

What I mean (thanks for pointing this out by the way) is when under the influence that no dreaming or very little dreaming takes place (some SSRI's in some individuals have been shown to prohibit dreaming and REM sleep altogether =\ ) I remember being on zoloft and NOT dreaming at all (I am very experienced with dream recall) and going to sleep really stoned would prevent me from dreaming. I would ALWAYS wake up in a mental fog and be out of it for many hours, my body was fine but my mind was never there. Just my experience though, I'm sure these effects can vary across the board between individuals and their body chemistry.

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What I meant was that cannabis and these other drugs don't completely eliminate REM sleep, they can decrease the amount of it (and/or change the timing of it), plus they also make you less likely to remember your dreams. Of course this also depends on how soon before bed you smoke cannabis. And you're right it can definitely vary from person to person. But yeah, not smoking weed right before bed should definitely help most people with dream recall

A great way to work on remembering your dreams is to follow the techniques for lucid dreaming, one example being immediately making an effort to recall dreams as soon as you wake up and writing them down or recording them. You can even get a special alarm that aims to wake you up during REM so you can record your dreams. Although that one is probably not a good idea for insomniacs.

I got my pad and pen on my pillow next to me for when I wake to write my dreams. I'm working on returning to having frequent lucid dreams again (no drug can beat flying and fucking some hot ass girl in space while orbiting jupiter lol) and I just miss that feeling of awe I would get when I achieved lucidity, that "wow I can do anything I want and nothing will come out of it". Plus it's the only way I can "get high" without throwing away clean time, getting in trouble with the law, or getting dope sick lol.