The Basics
When you sleep, your brain goes through different stages. In one of them, called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, most dreaming happens. If your brain is using a part that handles color, like the back of your eyes and the middle of your brain, then you’re more likely to dream in color.
Why It Matters
Not everyone uses the same parts of their brain when they dream. Some people don’t use the ones that handle color, so their dreams look like black-and-white movies.
Examples
- If you watch lots of colorful cartoons before bed, your dreams might be bright and colorful too.
- A person who spends most days looking at gray office walls may dream in black and white.
- Some people start dreaming in color when they grow older, like a movie that gets more vivid over time.
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See also
- Why Do Some People Dream in Color While Others Don't?
- Why Do We Dream in Color — Or Do We?
- What happens to your brain when you’re dreaming?
- What Is the Purpose of Dreams?
- Do dreams act as a form of memory replay?