Today I learned that dreams typically only last 45 seconds to 5 minutes. I started to wonder how many dreams we have in a full night of sleep. My dreams usually feel longer than they typically are, even though most of the time I can’t remember them. On some nights, I don’t dream at all, and I wonder if it’s because I just can’t recall them when I wake up, or my mind is just blank. Dreams can feel like they last forever because of our perception of time when we’re asleep. I have a theory that we dream of something before it actually happens, and that’s where we get the feeling of deja vu from. Things like social media and trauma can also affect how we dream because it’s not necessarily something we’re always thinking about when we’re awake, but when our brain is resting, it has more time to process what’s in the back of our minds. Nightmares are a different type of dream that triggers negative emotions and fear when we sleep. Usually, nightmares are easier to remember after waking up because of how bizarre they can be, and they can also affect sleep patterns due to the fear or fast heartbeat if you wake up from them.