Remembering my dreams is yet another significant part of my day-to-day life experience I was robbed of by my brain injury. Before my TBI I would remember at least one or two dreams virtually every night, and many nights I would remember as many as five or six. To me, it was like having a regular life during the day and having a much more fantastic version of life each night. Not remembering if I even had a dream, much less what it was about, was a tremendous loss for me.
As I began to understand and adjust to my new requirements for an adequate sleep schedule following brain injury, I started to see some possibility of hope for the future. The timed-release melatonin supplement I take helps greatly with both quality and duration of sleep. Sometimes, when I slept for 9 to 10 hours, I’d awaken knowing that I had dreamed even though I couldn’t remember the content. This set me on a search to find a solution.
Rosemary oil, as I discuss in my introduction to essential oils post, has been scientifically shown in many controlled studies to improve both short-term and long-term memory, most specifically in the area of image and numeric recall. One of my first strategies was to set up an essential oil diffuser on my night stand and start diffusing as I was going to bed. Because lavender oil helps to induce and maintain sleep, I started with a mix of rosemary and lavender (which, I must say, was a rather interesting olfactory combination). This worked for me on both fronts – I slept better and I found that on waking, I had bits and images from dreams floating around in my conscious mind. This led me to ask, if rosemary oil can make a difference, what else can help? So my search continued.
One of the informational resources I found was a book called Dream Yoga, and because it is available as an audio book on Audible, I gave it a listen. This book really goes into depth on many aspects of dreaming, from remembering dreams to developing lucidity in the dream state. That’s where I learned about Galantamine.
Now available in low dose form as a dietary supplement, Galantamine was once a prescription medication used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s type dementia. An acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, Galantamine works by inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase enzyme from breaking down acetylcholine – the molecule responsible for memories. Personally, I have experienced amazing results with Galantamine, finding that on the nights I use it, I can once again remember several dreams from a single night. While Galantamine is promoted as a lucid dreaming supplement, my own experience here has been limited… but I’m quite happy just remembering more of my dreams.
Another easy trick to help remember dreams is to drink water or tea before bed, because studies show that people who awaken through the night tend to remember more dreams than those who don’t. Also, some studies have shown that affirmations or repeatedly telling yourself you want to remember your dreams, as well as keeping a dream journal next to your bed, can make a positive difference. I employ a digital voice recorder for this purpose, and often will record dream content in the middle of the night that would otherwise have been forgotten.
Finally, one other suggestion I have found positive results with is on waking, keep your eyes closed for a few moments and review what you remember of your dream in your mind. For dreams I want to hang on to, I will then grab my voice recorder and record what I remember.
Find what works for you, and as I always recommend, talk to your trusted medical professional before making any changes to your supplements or daily routines.
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