7 Facts About Daydreaming You Probably Didn’t Know

Every day, our thoughts drift off to other worlds: in the shower, in bed, or simply in the middle of the day. In short, daydreaming is a natural part of life. Stress coach Ruud Meulenberg even claims that we spend 30 to 50% of our day lost in thought. All the more reason to dive into some surprising facts about daydreaming.

1. Daydreaming Is Multitasking

Is daydreaming good for you? Absolutely. Neuroscientists at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig discovered that frequent daydreamers tend to have a larger working memory. That’sthe part of the brain that temporarily stores information for specific tasks. People with this cognitive capacity were shown to be able to perform routine tasks while simultaneously letting their minds wander. True multitaskers, in other words.

2. Your Brain Was Made to Wander

One of the key causes of daydreaming lies deep in our evolutionary past. American-Canadian neuroscientist Daniel Levitin describes it as a natural way to find calm in a restless world. Scottish researcher Jonathan Smallwood adds: “Wandering thoughts aren’t just a mental break. They are a fundamental part of our cognition. We wouldn’t be human without them.”

3. Creative Breakthroughs Often Happen While Daydreaming

Chris Griffiths and Caragh Medlicott, authors of The Creative Thinking Handbook, explain why daydreaming is so valuable for creative thought: “When you're deep in thought, you think more freely. The voice of doubt goes quiet. Everything in your imagination suddenly feels possible.” This free flow of ideas helps you become more inventive and solution-oriented in real life too.

4. Daydreaming and Autism: A Complex Relationship

Recent research has shed new light on the link between daydreaming and autism. Contrary to earlier assumptions that people on the spectrum lack imagination, studies now show that they can possess deeply rich inner worlds. Their daydreams may range from practical and structured to vivid and highly imaginative.

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5. Daydreaming Can Sometimes Go Too Far

In some people, daydreaming can become excessive, a condition known as maladaptive daydreaming. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this intense form of escapism may serve as a coping mechanism, allowing individuals to retreat from reality. Israeli psychologist Eli Somer, who coined the term in 2002, warns that the line between healthy and maladaptive daydreaming can be thin. It becomes problematic when someone loses touch with reality, developing elaborate plots and recurring characters in their fantasy worlds.

6. Daydreaming in Children May Signal High Intelligence

Children who daydream often are sometimes simply imaginative by nature, something to be embraced. But it can also be a sign of other things: emotional stress, lack of sleep, hypersensitivity to stimuli, or even giftedness. In fact, drowsiness or distraction in the classroom may indicate a lack of intellectual stimulation. For highly intelligent children, daydreaming can become a creative outlet for a mind craving more challenge.

7. Your Brain Has a Special ‘Dream Mode’

One fascinating explanation for daydreaming lies in the unique state your brain enters during these moments. Unlike focused concentration, the brain switches to what’s called the default mode network, a sort of soft reset. This system activates areas linked to memory and emotion, giving your thoughts space to settle and reorganise.