dream journal isn't making a difference?

**Lina99** · 02-09-2014 06:51 AM

Hey guys, so in December I decided to start a journal (I write about my day and then the dreams I have that night) and I don't feel like it has had much of an impact on my dream recall at all. My recall is as extremely varied as it was when I first began. Some nights I'll remember a couple from beginning to end, or the plot in 5 or 6, and some nights I just remember broken fragments. Do you guys have any tips on actually improving recall to the point where I can remember lengthy dreams in detail every night?

**NyxCC** · 02-09-2014 02:50 PM

I'd say that recall can vary greatly from day to day. Some things to consider to boost your recall:

- having a consistent sleep schedule - i.e. going to bed at more or less the same time
- avoiding bright lights/screens before bed time
- consider having a light snack pre bed to deliver more energy and nutrients to the brain

More on dream recall can be found here:

http://www.dreamviews.com/dream-sign...ompendium.html

Good luck!

**sisyphus** · 02-09-2014 06:24 PM

Do you wake after every dream or is all the recall in the morning? Recall is best if you wake after every REM period, about every 90 minutes. This would be waking naturally, not with an alarm.

**Lina99** · 02-09-2014 06:32 PM

Oh okay well the consistency thing might make a difference since my sleep patterns pretty much vary on the amount of studying I have to do each night and whether or not I have school the next day, and I can't help but falling asleep after each REM period, like I have no memory of waking up and trying to wake up with an alarm doesn't do much good because of the whole varied sleep schedule thing.

**Sensei** · 02-17-2014 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by sisyphus

Do you wake after every dream or is all the recall in the morning? Recall is best if you wake after every REM period, about every 90 minutes. This would be waking naturally, not with an alarm.

Do you have better recall because you wake up after every REM, or do you wake up after every REM because you have better recall? Honestly I think that both are trye. Either way, the more REM is interrupted the more you have, and the longer you are in a REM period (closer to the end) the more awareness you have.

@OP
Waking up in the middle of the night is a good thing, but as others said, consistency is a biiiig factor in LDing. I would recommend promising yourself a month or two without messing up consistency. Dream Journalling can help recall, but just mindlessly tapping up dreams that you remember or dont remember won't do it. Trying as hard as you can to remember your dreams can help, and everything in that thread that Nyxcc posted. Hopefully this thread will help as well.
http://www.dreamviews.com/dream-sign...m-journal.html