Podcast transcript:
Hello and Welcome to News From The Future, spoken by the eleven labs audio clone of Dr Catherine Ball.
In this new short series we will be focussing on Sleep.
We all do it, and we all recognise when we have not had enough of it.
Dr Cath’s new book The Future of Sleep is out now and available globally in paperback, audiobook, and ebook.
We think you’ll get something life changing from it.
Today we are talking about something a bit controversial - People who don’t dream!
Enjoy!
Some mornings, you open your eyes and the dream you just had feels so vivid and real, it’s almost as if you’re still in it. You might even feel the emotions lingering in your chest, taking a few moments to reorient yourself to reality. Other mornings, there’s nothing—just a blank slate and the quiet sense of having slept. You may even know people who claim they don’t dream at all. But here’s the truth: everyone dreams. Every single one of us. The real difference lies in whether or not we remember those dreams.
Dreaming is a universal part of the human sleep experience, but dream recall varies widely. To understand why, it helps to first look at the mechanics of sleep itself. Every night, our sleep follows a predictable cycle that repeats approximately every 90 minutes. This cycle includes three main stages: light sleep, deep sleep, and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep.
During the first half of the night, we spend more time in deep sleep. This stage is restorative—it’s when our bodies repair themselves, replenish energy, and help store memories. But as the night progresses, we transition to spending more time in REM sleep, which is critical for memory consolidation and emotional processing. REM sleep is also the stage most closely linked to vivid, emotional dreams.
Now, here’s the key: if you wake up during or immediately after REM sleep, you’re much more likely to remember a dream. On the other hand, if you wake up from deep sleep, you probably won’t, even though you were dreaming earlier in the night. This isn’t a sign that something is wrong; it’s just how the brain operates during different stages of sleep.
There’s also a common misconception that dreams only occur during REM sleep. While it’s true that REM dreams are typically more vivid, emotional, and story-like, dreaming can happen in other stages of sleep as well. These non-REM dreams tend to be quieter and harder to recall. So, if you wake up one morning with a crystal-clear memory of your dream and another morning with no recollection at all, that’s perfectly normal. It simply means you woke up at a different point in your sleep cycle.
So why do some people seem to remember their dreams more often than others? Several factors come into play here. For one, age can influence dream recall. As we get older, our ability to remember dreams tends to decline. Gender may also play a role, with some studies suggesting that women are more likely to recall dreams than men. Medications, such as antidepressants or sedatives, can also impact dream recall by altering the structure of sleep.
Timing is another significant factor. Since REM sleep becomes more prominent later in the night, dreams that occur closer to morning are easier to remember. Additionally, waking up briefly during the night—whether from a noise, a restless child, or some other disturbance—provides an opportunity to capture a dream before it fades. This is why light sleepers and parents of young children often report remembering more dreams.
The way you wake up can also make a difference. If you’re jolted awake by a loud alarm or sudden noise, the dream can disappear almost instantly. But if you’re woken gently—perhaps by someone softly calling your name or a gradual light alarm—there’s a better chance the dream will linger long enough for you to remember it. Some people are naturally better at recalling dreams, too. These “high recallers” seem to have an innate ability to capture their dreams before they fade away completely.
Let’s dive into the nature of dreams themselves. Why do some dreams feel unusually intense, emotional, or even dramatic? The answer lies in the brain activity that occurs during REM sleep. In this stage, there’s increased activation in areas of the brain responsible for emotions, such as the amygdala and the limbic system. At the same time, the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that handles logic, self-control, and emotional regulation—is less active. This unique combination can make dreams feel vivid, surreal, and emotionally charged.
Stress, life changes, or heightened emotions in your waking life can also contribute to more intense dreams. Often, dreams reflect elements of our real-life experiences as the brain processes events from the day and consolidates them into long-term memory. While intense dreams can sometimes feel unsettling, they’re usually a normal part of healthy emotional processing.
Now, let’s address a common question: does remembering your dreams mean you had a good night’s sleep? Not necessarily. Dream recall isn’t a reliable indicator of sleep quality. Forgetting your dreams doesn’t mean your sleep was perfect, and remembering them doesn’t mean it was poor. Instead, the best way to assess your sleep quality is by considering how you feel during the day. Do you wake up feeling rested? Do you have enough energy to get through your day? These are the real markers of good sleep.
For most people, variations in dream recall and intensity are entirely normal and nothing to worry about. Dream frequency and vividness can vary widely from person to person and even over the course of a lifetime. However, there are certain situations where it might be worth seeking advice from a health professional. For example, if you’re experiencing persistent daytime exhaustion despite spending enough time in bed, if you’re having frequent and distressing nightmares, or if your sleep is regularly disrupted by panic or difficulty falling back asleep, it may be time to consult a sleep specialist.
In the end, dreams are just one fascinating aspect of the complex process of sleep. Whether you remember them vividly or not at all, they’re a natural part of how your brain processes emotions, consolidates memories, and restores itself for the day ahead. So, if you wake up feeling rested, functional, and emotionally stable, you can rest assured that your sleep—and your dreams—are working exactly as they should.
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And please buy my book: The Future of Sleep.
Thank you.
