I tried it.
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| | | | | I've always been interested in dream journaling, mainly so I could have a log of my dreams that I could go back and visit. I had never actually tried it until recently, though. | | As I dug into the topic a little bit more, I started seeing claims about how it can help boost memory (something I could definitely work on). This was enough encouragement to get me to try it for a month. | | Keep scrolling for my account! | | | | | | | Sweet dreams,
Sarah Matysiak
Associate Editor, Healthline |  | | Written by Sarah Matysiak
September 26, 2025 • 4 min read | | | | | | | |
| |  | | | | My experiment with dream journaling | | What people are saying: Most evidence for dream journaling's ability to boost your memory is anecdotal. No scientific studies have examined this claim in depth, so more research is needed to support a connection between dream journaling and memory. | | One 2024 study, however, looks into a *closely related* topic. For 36 college-age students, researchers found that handwriting in general (at many times of day) may improve working memory, which is a mix of attention ability and holding information in the moment before it turns into short-term memory. | | It's important to note that because this study looked at the physical act of writing, the same findings may not apply if you type your dreams. Maybe that was where I went wrong. | | My setup: Instead of physically writing down my dreams, I typed them into the Notes app on my phone every morning solely because of convenience (I often reach for my phone first thing — bad habit, I know). If you try dream journaling, you might elect to use a physical journal instead. | | I tried to include as much detail as I could remember, even if my dreams were fragmented, which they often were. For example, on the first morning of trying this, I wrote, "I went back to my elementary school to observe the students. It had gotten a lot bigger, and more students went there. They held some sort of big assembly (or was it lunch?) in an outdoor part that was covered like an amphitheater." | | As you can see, it probably doesn't make much sense to you, but it has enough detail that I can recall that dream as I type it here. | | My verdict: Remembering your dreams on a daily basis is a lot harder than it seems! Realistically, I was able to write something down — even if just a sentence of mumbo jumbo — only about half of the time. | | Still, I would try doing this again in the long term, perhaps by hand next time, mostly because I find it entertaining to read my older entries (and not because it seemed to have a profound effect on my memory). | | | | | | | | | | | I dreamed a dream | | | | | | |  | | Bullet Journal Notebook | | I have a journal (actually two), much like this one, that I might use to track my dreams instead of my phone if I were to resume this activity. I prefer the dotted pages of this notebook to classic lined paper. The dots are enough to keep your writing even (anyone else can't write in a straight line without something to guide them?), but don't ruin drawings by having harsh lines running through them. | | | Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline's or Optum Now's vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Now are owned by RVO Health. | | | | | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | | Until next time, |  | Take care of yourself, and we'll see
you again soon! | | |  | | |  | | This edition was powered by | | brain power. | | | | | | | | View in browser
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