Why Do We Dream in Color Sometimes and Black and White Other Times?

Imagine you're watching a movie. Sometimes the colors are bright and bold, and sometimes it feels like everything is in black and white. That’s what happens in your dreams! When you’re asleep, your brain works like a painter, sometimes it uses all the colors, and sometimes it only uses shades of gray. Scientists think this depends on how well your brain is working during sleep and whether you're used to seeing color or not.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. You’re sleeping and dreaming about your favorite ice cream shop, it’s bright pink and blue.
  2. Your dream feels like an old TV show, with everything in black and white.
  3. You're in a dream where the sky is purple, but you wake up and think it was just a normal day.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity

Nothing here yet.

Categories: Biology · Dreams· Sleep· Neuroscience