How Often Do Adults Recall Their Dreams?

Abstract

The question of age changes in frequency of dream recall was addressed in a questionnaire survey of 295 college-educated men and women aged seventeen to seventy. Dream recall was found to be maximal for men and women alike during the college years, with a subsequent decline to a much lower level in the forties and beyond. The drop in recall frequency is paralleled by a declining interest in, and valuation of, dreaming among middle-aged and older adults.