Yeah! I think my alarm is my biggest issue. I'm not a morning person and when it goes off, I instantly set my mind to shutting it off in order to sleep a little longer - which probably ruins the dream memorizing aspect.
Good! That'll help.
Also I heard about drinking a lot of water before bed to wake up during the night and use the bathroom - which is also an opportunity to record any dreams.
Good idea! Go for it!
Additionally I heard about eating certain foods to make dreams more vivid - is that true?
Maybe...Certain vitamins improve the vividness of dreams for some people. And these certain vitamins are in certain foods... so...maybe! Do some research on Google if you like.
Anyways, I've never really been able to memorize my dreams unless they're scary. I can't tell you the last time I've honestly remembered my dreams.
That's okay! That what improvement is for!
Generally I get up at 7:25 and sleep by 1-1:30 (so obviously THATS not enough sleep). I've read online you'll need at least 7+ hrs to get a good enough sleep, and that waking up at the 7.5 hr mark WOULD be during a REM cycle, meaning Id wake up in the middle or the end of a dream - making it easier to remembe it better.
Is any of this true? Thanks again
This is true. You're welcome!
Also adding on to the "unusual things means doing a reality check" thing, what if you don't find anything that makes you question if you're dreaming during your day? Are you expected to be doing RCs multiple times a day, or is it a weekly thing?
The point of all of this is to connect unusual things with dreams. Once you make this a habit that's well engrained, it will start to show up in your dreams. That said, if you don't see anything unusual during the day, that's okay. The important thing is that it's on the back of your mind during the day that unusual=dream. Remember, you can also study your past dreams and play through them again, only imagining that you remember do a reality check when you notice something unusual. That can also help you engrain the crucial habit.
Are naps a good way to catch dreams too?
yes
They work out well for me (napping) - because I tend to wake up on my own, and they're the easiest to awaken slowly from - the only concern is whether or not I dream during a nap. My naps tend to last 1 hour or longer.. so will I be in a large enough REM cycle to be dreaming?
Naps are mostly REM as long as they're in the first half or so of the day. The REM cycle is plenty long enough.
I'm also skeptical about my ability to look at something abnormal and question if i'm in a dream or not.
Don't be skeptical! Anybody can do this with proper training!
I noticed today as I walking down this road that NOBODY is ever walking on that there was someone indeed walking. I tried my hardest to question if I was dreaming or not, and I did perform the whole hand/watch test
That's great you remembered!
but in the back of my mind I KNEW it wasn't a dream... which is where I might encounter problems. The reality checks just don't work because I've never had any moment where I was wondering, "am I dreaming?"
Of course, you know you're awake! What you want to do is imagine it's a dream. You have to use your imagination! You essentially practicing or rehearsing for the dream world. It's like the fire alarm drills at school. You know it's not an emergency but you're training yourself in case there is one. Actually the analogy is exactly the same. Fire drills are designed to train your event-based prospective memory so that in your mind "fire alarm=fire emergency". We're trying to train our mind that "dream sign=dream" in the same manner.
Also - what is the point in writing down these dreams? Is it to find a cue? What happens when I know what my cue is - does my brain automatically wake myself up when I see this cue in a dream? I'm so confused about LD.
We're telling our subconscious that dreams are important, which will make them easier to remember. Also, we're trying to make our dream memory stronger. Think of it as push-ups for our dream memory muscle, lol. It's also find cue's in your dreams. A cue is another word for dream sign. When we see a dream sign, we do a reality check.
I'm sorry for all the questions, i'm just confused as to why all these processes are in place.
It's okay, I'm happy to help out.
After I posted this, I went for a nap. I sat in bed repeating my mantra in my head and thinking. I turned over, and then began to do the same thing over and over. After a while my thoughts became clouded and a vision popped up.
It was someone (distinctively looked like a friend of mine) in an underground box screaming. I thought to myself, "what the heck??" and woke myself up. I think I just got a fragment of a dream?? Maybe?
This is a huge break-through for you! Not only what that a fragment of a dream, you noticed something unusual inside the dream! Oh, and did you just wake up from the dream, or did you will yourself to wake up from the dream? I think you're closer to LDing than you think! You can do this!
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