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Thursday September 21, 2006 Previous | Next
Dear Yahoo!:
How long does an average dream last?
Elizabeth
Reno, Nevada
Dear Elizabeth:
Although it may seem like we're dreaming from the instant we fall asleep until the moment we wake up, the average visit to Neverland is actually far shorter.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, people spend an average of two hours dreaming each night. Dreams "almost always" occur during REM sleep, when the body experiences "rapid eye movement, loss of reflexes, and increased pulse rate and brain activity."

Your ability to remember your dreams depends a lot on your personality. Newsweek explains that introverts tend to remember their nocturnal adventures better than extroverts. In terms of the subject matter, males and females often dream about the same things. Again according to Newsweek, 73% of men and 74% of women have dreamed of falling.

OK, but how long does an average dream last? Depending on who you ask (or which site you visit), a dream can last anywhere from a matter of seconds to 45 minutes. We were unable to find an official answer, but this post from AnswerBag claims dreams last "about 15 minutes on the average." Dream Moods states people dream one to two hours per night, fitting in about four to seven dreams.

If, like us, you're wondering why you dream about showing up naked to piano recitals, these dream interpreters may help you find some answers.

 
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