Thread: Sleeping on your back makes you dream more?

Originally Posted by Dewitback

I don't know about you guys, but whenever I sleep on my back it seems the percentages that i WILL dream goes up amazingly. When i sleep on my side I don't have as many dreams, esp. when i wake up in the morning and I move to my side, its like i won't have a dream, but if I move to sleep on my back, I have a dream awaiting in 10. I don't like sleeping on my back, its just kind of uncomfortable. But I'm wondering if the same happens for you guys at all? And if it does do any of you know the reason?

Dunno but I certainly snore more on my back. Maybe there's a link between dreaming and snoring

i think its because its harder to fall asleep when you lay on your back than on your front because your eyes more naturally close when your on your front than on your back...

meaning you dream more because your body isnt entirely asleep and (i'm guessing) that its because the muscles needed to keep your eyes closed are working harder making it easier to influence rapid eye movement....

Originally Posted by Burned up

Maybe there's a link between dreaming and snoring

Actually, snoring is how you know someone's not dreaming. I don't know why, but when someone snores, they're not dreaming.

I have just as many dreams on my back as not on my back, but i seem to have more vivid dreams on my back.

Originally Posted by b12

Actually, snoring is how you know someone's not dreaming. I don't know why, but when someone snores, they're not dreaming.

No way, well then my dad must never dream...

Actually, snoring is how you know someone's not dreaming.

According to this snoring can happen in both REM and Non-REM stages.

As for dreaming more while lying on your back, how do you KNOW you're on your back while you're dreaming? I most always start out on my back, but end up mostly waking up on my stomach - just seems more natural for some reason (even though its not necessarily more comfortable).

i always as well, sleep on my back of a night and seem to get into the dream world alot easy, i guess because i can picture myself rising out and going into the wonderful land of dreams, but in the morning i am always in a different position,because i have been told i try to fight the evil badies in my dream(thanks to my girlfriend) so i am always in a different spot, although when i dont have dreams i dont move so i dont know if maybe when i hit the stages of sleep i might move around or what.

yeah, i guess that I also move around in my sleep and find myself waking up in a different position, I should have pointed out before that when I attempt a WILD, being on my back seems like the only way I can. If I go on my side, I fall asleep way too easily, but when I'm on my back it takes longer to fall asleep and easier to WILD. Maybe its the fact that you don't want to fall asleep right away when you WILD, being uncomfortable makes you more concious. Kind of like when some one moves away from their bed onto thier sofa to have a WILD.

Every time I incur sleep paralsysis or experience a WILD, im positioned on my back. Also much of the time i spend sleeping on couches i usually have vivid dreams or SP / WILD experiences also. I think the unfarmiliar (and possibly uncomfortable) environment of sleeping on couches is conducive to creating lighter sleep maybe, which is why its easier to have such experiences. The same goes for sleeping on your back, which i think is generally recognized as lighter sleep. I have a friend who's into dreaming as well and he noted to me that pretty much whenever he sleeps somewhere besides his bed he has intense dream experiences. Any sort of situation that refreshes an awareness in the mind seems like it helps increase the likelihood of vivid dreams or similar experiences.

When I fall asleep on my back I tend to wake up still on my back but when I sleep on my side I will wake up in a different position so maybe that means I'm moving around and disturbing my sleep. That actually tends to make me have more dreams, or maybe just remember more from waking up.

Hey there,

Firstly, remember that there is a difference between "Dreaming", and "Remembering your dreams.". As far as I know, you dream from the moment you fall asleep to the moment you wake up, either in NREM dreams or REM dreams. So your sleeping position wouldn't affect 'how much you dream' at all.

What you're really asking though, is about remembering more dreams. In which case I would say it's very subjective. People just have different sleep patterns, and different dream patterns. Some people may have more shallow sleep lying on their back (shallow sleep is often associated with easier to remember dreams). Others might have more deep sleep (which often correlates to dreams being harder to remember). But it just depends on the person, their biorythme, their sleep pattern, and the way they usually sleep.

Remember though that our bodies are adaptive. This means that sooner or later, they tend to adapt to any changes in your sleeping pattern you make, and find a new equilibrium. So just because you seem to remember more dreams the first week or two when you start sleeping on your back, doesn't mean it's a permanent thing. Sooner or later, your body will adapt, and things will go back to normal.

Just my 2 cents,

-Redrivertears-

I just woke up from another dream while sleeping on my back and had to search for"dream more sleeping on my back".This is where I ended up.I also find sleeping on my back a bit uncomfortable but had a knee injury recently and just cannot stay on my side without pain.Most of my dreams are actually pretty cool but I'm always waking up and miss the solid,virtually dream free,sleeping on the side days.Not sure why on the back=much dreamin but I sure hope my knee heals soon.

I always dream vividly and sleep lightly on my back. I will generally wake up within an hour or two disorientated and/or with a neck ache.

Seems clear that it does make a difference based simply on the fact that people have taken note of it. With all things equal (diet, stress, etc.) I have noticed that whenever I doze off on my back, dreams are more prevalent.
- Sleep apnea could be a factor.
- Blood distribution could be a factor. Similar to when you stand too quickly and get lightheaded. It would be a minimal amount, but gravity does affect blood flow. Sleeping on your back would mean a slightly larger concentration of blood in the back of the brain (which is where most primal functions occur).
- Equilibrium could be a factor. Where your ears are in relation to the ground affect your balance. Whether sleeping on your stomach or your side, either your left ear is above your right ear (or vice versa) depending on how you lay your head on the pillow. You can see how this affects balance by simply trying to walk across the room with your head tipped to either the left or right (one ear higher than the other). You'll find that your balance is slightly affected and you tend to hobble while you walk. Conversely, while sleeping on your back, both ears are equally balanced in relation to gravity (closer to their normal state during waking activity). This may also account for why it's easier for some people to have OBEs and lucid dreams sleeping on their backs, simply because the feeling of the body in motion is more normalized due to equilibrium.
- Lastly, a primal concern for the body may be a factor. If you look at most animals in the wild, they curl their bodies inward when they sleep. This is due in part to conserve heat and space, but also I suspect in part to protect the vital organs and extremities of the body. A tip for hikers while camping in areas where falling rocks pose a danger is to sleep on their sides. The logic being that if they are struck, hopefully less damage to the body will occur because less of it is exposed. A test you can do regarding this primal directive is, lay on your back and take stock of your body. Then, cross your hands across your chest (chances are you will feel slightly more secure). Then, fold your arms across your chest (even more secure). Then, roll onto your side and draw your legs in a bit, fetal-like (still even more secure). If you sleep on your back, vital organs exposed, the psychological aspect of that sense of body insecurity could aide in producing nightmares.

An interesting topic. Almost every time I wake up from a nightmare, I have moved from my usual sideways sleeping position to be lying on my back. Either rolling over onto my back induces a state where I am more likely to experience a nightmare, or having a nightmare makes me roll onto my back.

personally for me nearly every time i have fallen asleep on my back i have had a lucid dream. However it is extremly difficult for me to fall asleep on my back cuz like you guys have mentioned i am more aware. But if i somehow pull it off i usually have a lucid dream.

This has been bugging me for quite a few years, and today I decided to see if anyone is having the same experience. I can tell that I dream easily or get into dream easily (or remembering dream easily as redrivertears pointed out), also I woke up still in the same position.

Originally Posted by Redrivertears

Hey there,

Firstly, remember that there is a difference between "Dreaming", and "Remembering your dreams.". As far as I know, you dream from the moment you fall asleep to the moment you wake up, either in NREM dreams or REM dreams. So your sleeping position wouldn't affect 'how much you dream' at all.

What you're really asking though, is about remembering more dreams. In which case I would say it's very subjective. People just have different sleep patterns, and different dream patterns. Some people may have more shallow sleep lying on their back (shallow sleep is often associated with easier to remember dreams). Others might have more deep sleep (which often correlates to dreams being harder to remember). But it just depends on the person, their biorythme, their sleep pattern, and the way they usually sleep.


Remember though that our bodies are adaptive. This means that sooner or later, they tend to adapt to any changes in your sleeping pattern you make, and find a new equilibrium. So just because you seem to remember more dreams the first week or two when you start sleeping on your back, doesn't mean it's a permanent thing. Sooner or later, your body will adapt, and things will go back to normal.

Just my 2 cents,

-Redrivertears-

I quite agree on this, I think this might be it, but as for this thing is not permanent thing because our body is adaptive, I'm not too sure since this has been going on for me for quite a few years already.

Y'all would likely be better off starting a new thread. This one has been dormant for some time and most of the users, including the OP, have been inactive for years.