Very Frequent Dreams, some Lucid, but just too many

I've always been a heavy dreamer, with occasional lucidity, usually resulting in flying. Lately after researching Lucid Dreaming and trying to gain some control over it, my "normal" dreaming has increased tremendously. Sometimes to the point that I don't feel I'm getting enough sleep. I've had a few lucid dreams although they haven't lasted as long as I'd like.

I'm just concerned about the increase in the sheer number of dreams I'm having. Or maybe I'm just recalling more because I read that that's the first step to attaining greater control over the LD experience. I drift off to sleep with the simple mantra that I will remember my dreams. Maybe it's really working. Any similar experiences out there?

I would lean toward the theory that you are simply remembering more dreams than you used to. Everybody dreams during every sleep cycle -- it's just that very often most of these dreams are erased from memory almost immediately.

Certainly telling yourself that you will remember your dreams as you are going to sleep does increase your recall -- at least it works that way for me. I don't think my results have been as dramatic as yours apparently are, but then, everyone is different.

I agree that you're just naturally progressing in your dream recall. Your mantra seems to be working, so keep at it.
I don't think you have to worry too much about not getting enough sleep. I don't think your dream activity has too much bearing on how deprived of sleep you are, unless you are actually waking up like 15 times a night. But I've had many of my most intense, vivid dreams that have seemed to last all night, and woken up refreshed almost every time. But we may all be different, so I guess you have to take note of your dream activity vs. how you feel in the mornings, for a while, and see if dreaming heavily (or dream Recalling heavily, actually) is really having an effect on you in the mornings.

Hope this helps. Oh, and welcome to Dream Views! :cooler:

Some good responses from both of you ;)
Just one thing to watch out for. If you feel tired in the morning it might simply be sleep inertia (ie. you woke up in deep sleep, which is tough to shrug off entirely)
This doesn't necessarily mean you didn't get enough sleep though, so keep it in mind :)

I also feel that unless you feel yourself getting more and more tired as the days wear on, I really wouldn't worry about it.
People have a lot more dreams than they realise - they simply don't remember them all :)

I have also found that the number of dreams I remember vary. Sometimes I rember three from one night and other time just a couple of fragments which won't piece together. At other times bits come creeping back into my mind as the day passes and usually when I'm not thinking about dreams in the slightest! It is frustrating when I wake with a blank memory. I can only assume on these occasions that perhaps I am more tired and have been sleeping more soundly, as if I am already reasonably rested, I tend to remember more dreams and have had more Lucid dreams too.