Dream recall better during weekend

I know this has to do with the REM stages etc, but I don't know much about it + maybe this whole thing isn't true, and I'm just having bad luck that I can't recall my dreams at those particular days.

So here's what I've been experiencing for the past 2 weeks or so (since I joined DV).

I recall a lot more dreams during the weekend. And this is not just by coincidence, but it's because I wake up naturally during the weekends (let my body decide when to wake up.)
Let's put it like this. I recall maybe 1 or even no dreams from the night of sunday - monday to thursday - friday (so that's the entire week except the weekend), and I remember about 5 or 6 during the weekend.
The only LD I've had was during a Saturday - Sunday night.

I also tend to recall dreams better and more vividly when I go to bed earlier.

Is this a common thing? Is there anything to do about it. Because setting an alarm clock is just inevitable, since we all have to go to school or our jobs.

thanks in advance, Ruba

I always recall the same throughout the week, but when it comes to my past LDs they have mostly been on weekends, I think it is because there is not stress about work or school and so your mind and body is more relaxed and there are much less things to think about.
So you might have less dream recall in the week days because of stress of work of school....

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Originally Posted by snumbers

I always recall the same throughout the week, but when it comes to my past LDs they have mostly been on weekends, I think it is because there is not stress about work or school and so your mind and body is more relaxed and there are much less things to think about.
So you might have less dream recall in the week days because of stress of work of school....

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Then I think that's the thing, even though I'm not really someone who has school at top priority though, but you're probably right

what about the difference in "naturally" and "unnaturally" waking up?

ummm, what do you mean ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by snumbers

ummm, what do you mean ?

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maybe I put it wrong, but this is what I meant

natural: Just waking up, because your body decides to, not because of any environmental thing that wakes you up.

unnatural: Waking up by for example alarm clock, someone else waking you up, etc.

I can think of three causes that might make you recall your dreams better during the weekend, I don't which once are most important.

1. You sleep longer and thus have more dreams. Additionally the dreams later in the night are longer, which you might miss out on during the week.

2. As Ruba said, you'll awake naturally which usually happens after a REM cycle and thus right after a dream

3. For me, I sleep later on the day. For instance during the week I sleep from 11 to 7, during the weekends from 2 to 11. Because of this you sleep lighter after 7, because normally you would be awake. I don't know if this is true.

It is normal for me to remember more dreams during the weekends because I got a 3-4 extra hours of sleep.

As has been mentioned previously, you'll get more time in the REM stages, but perhaps it's because you have more time to dwell on your dreams as you wake that you remember them better? Remembering's the trick a lot of the time.

Thanks for your reactions to all, I think it's pretty clear that it's caused by the fact that you have Less hours of sleep, unnatural awakening and more stress during the week.

but this is actually pretty funny.
Yesterday I started this thread and tonight I recalled 2 dreams , I fell asleep just because I was so tired yesterday and didn't even think about the fact that I had to recall my dream the next morning (which I normally do so recall is better):cheeky:
1 of the dreams was actually pretty long and detailed, however it was a very sad dream

Yep, not getting enough sleep will pretty much kill dream recall. Plus you'll be able to remember dreams better if you lay in bed for a while and think only about what you were dreaming. On work days I tend to get from 4 to 5 hours, which isn't enough, plus as soon as I wake up I immediately start thinking about getting ready for work etc, and that makes you forget the dreams.

Though I've actually found (weirdly) that recently my dream recall is improving even on work days. I guess it's because I've been thinking so much about dreams since joining here, and my intention to remember dreams is seeping into my dreaming mind.