Day Space & Circadian Night

by: Andrew Thomas

How many people these days actually dream? How many people, rather, just space out and get lost in thought? It’s an important distinction. And we wonder: will our children’s capacity for imagination slowly erode as they’re exposed to smartphones and other “screens”?

The Night Time REM: Lack of Dream Recall

And what about traditional “dreaming” while asleep? Modern stresses weigh on the brain, making it harder to remember dreams after the alarm goes off.

One interesting observation Is that the emotional content of dreams doesn’t seem to differ with age, but our ability to recall our dreams inevitably declines with age. Loss of dream recall isn’t inevitable, though: reducing stress and anxiety can stave off some of it.

The Daytime Space Out: Daydreaming 

The action of spacing out, staring out into the distance—it’s actually quite healthy. It’s good to breathe and stare off during work lunch breaks, for example. But nowadays, people don’t often take the time for it—they occupy their time by playing with their phones, or interacting with some other device that saps their attention. 

In fact, based on studies done on adult smartphones usage since 2007, it’s now proven that excessive screen time actually destroys grey matter in the brain. But these studies are still recent, and there aren’t any long-term studies on what this will mean on the formation of grey matter in the brain through adolescence.

Saving the Two Types of Dreams:

For any adult looking to salvage the intrigue of REM dreams, there are exercises they can try—for example, trying to document dreams when we do have them, which can reinforce our capacity for dream recall and make it easier to lucid dream in the future. It’s a long haul and requires some discipline, but it’s possible nonetheless.

And as for the rest, limiting screentime and allowing yourself—or your kids—the luxury of “spacing out” sans screentime will do wonders. , limit yourself and kids screen time and be more engaging but also allow for the natural flow of spacing out.