On a blustery Friday night (Saturday AEDT), Forest played with the wind behind them in the first half and it was a swirling ball that led to the opener.
Daniel Munoz threw in a high cross from the right and Neco Williams was unmarked in the box and guided his volley into the net.
Ipswich drew level four minutes before halftime when Nikola Milenkovic was caught in possession by Julio Enciso.
The Paraguayan midfielder ran on to calmly slot the ball past diving goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The big talking point of the match was the 48th-minute decision not to send off Ipswich defender Issa Diop after he felled Forest's James McAtee as he headed towards goal.
The video referee looked at the decision and Diop was yellow-carded.
"It was the wrong decision but we couldn't have played a more dominant second half," Forest coach Oliver Glasner told Sky Sports.
"We created enough chances to decide the game and that's why I will never blame the referee. I liked that he went to the screen, this is the right procedure. It was wrong (decision) but he didn't do it on purpose."
Forest had the bulk of the chances in a gritty second period but could not make their superiority count.
"We have had so many good performances recently and we haven't been able to get the final three points and get over the line," Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White said.
"Again tonight we had a lot of chances.
"The first half we were in control, then they were in control. But the second half we dominated completely and should have won the game, in my eyes. If we keep up these performances like this then the wins are going to have to come."
Forest rose to 16th place, while Ipswich climbed one place into ninth.
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