# Why do we not remember going to sleep? (And why do we rarely remember dreams)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 27, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-not-remember-going-to-sleep-and-why-do-we-rarely-remember-dreams/501124 "2009-06-27T00:49:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-not-remember-going-to-sleep-and-why-do-we-rarely-remember-dreams/501124/21 "2009-06-29T17:53:52Z")
> [@EdwardLost](#): > > It’s been shown that sleep is necessary for memory formation, but I don’t think dreams are involved in or result from that. Nor do I think they are adaptive. I think they are just a side effect of the way the brain works. Whether you remember them or not is random and of little consequence. I remember my dreams (a least a couple of them, anyway) every night. I’m surprised there aren’t more people who do this. They’re emotionally vivid, in color and I’ve died in them a number of times. As a matter of fact the emotional “hangover” from the unpleasant ones can last a couple of hours. I’ve always felt, just from my experience, that my brain is spending that time collating the day’s events into long term memory. There are aspects of the dream that are from the day mixed in with lots of memories and images from the past. I imagine my operating system running through the day’s buffer and doing a tag search in long term storage. One datum point, anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Jorge\_Burrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Jorge\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge_Burrito)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-not-remember-going-to-sleep-and-why-do-we-rarely-remember-dreams/501124/22 "2009-06-29T18:07:59Z")
I think someone already mentioned this but it is indeed possible to start remembering your dreams. Keep a notepad by your bed and the second you wake up start writing down your recollections. At first it may be only once a week or so that you remember something, but you will get better. Even if you claim you never remember your dreams I think you will be surprised that you do remember quite a bit, it just disappears really quickly after you wake up. Eventually you will get to the point that you no longer need the notepad. ---
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-not-remember-going-to-sleep-and-why-do-we-rarely-remember-dreams/501124/23 "2009-06-29T20:56:20Z")
If I’m in a boring lecture, but I’m fighting really hard to stay awake, I will fall asleep slowly enough to see what happens. As my head moves slowly down due to shutting down muscles, my vision blurs up and I become cross-eyed just before my eyelids shut. Also, if you remember falling asleep in a loud place like a car, you will notice that there is a very sudden instant where you go “deaf” because your brain suddenly shuts out the outside world. Also, a “LOL ME TOO” for **Alex\_Dubinsky** who said your thoughts become vivid, bubbly and random. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-not-remember-going-to-sleep-and-why-do-we-rarely-remember-dreams/501124.md?page=1)