Ideal Dream Journal type?

[Bizarre]

For dream journaling I have been using mostly my phone which is most convenient because I use the App SleepCycle so its always by my bed. However I feel like this might be an ineffective way? Is there any evidence that its better to use a computer/phone or handwritten for dream journaling? I can imagine that handwriting would be more effective but I also have really poor handwriting and writing longer dreams is really tiring for me by hand?

[IHadADreamWhere]

When i first started practicing recall a really long time ago, i started off with a physical journal. Physical journal's help tell your sub how important remembering your dreams are to you, because you are actually taking time out to physically write everything down. Once i journaled in a physical journal long enough, and my recall was good enough to remember atleast 2 dreams a night, i moved onto a digital format on my phone. I moved to a digital format because i knew that soon i would start having to take hours to journal my dreams. The digital format provided a faster way for me, but i wouldn't say it was as effective as a physical journal. With a digital journal, i quickly typed out my dreams and went about my day. But with a physical, i read my dreams over as i was writing them down. Which i think really helped with my recall. A few months ago i came back from hiatus and my recall really wasn't as good anymore. I decided to jump straight into using a digital journal, but soon found that my recall had not been improving at all, no matter how much i journaled. I never seemed to remember anything. This seemed to be because when i was typing out my dream, i never really put much thought into it. All i wanted to do is quickly type it out, and then go about my day. This is why my recall hadn't been improving. I wasn't focusing on recalling my dreams as much as i would have if i had been journaling physically. My sub concious didn't think that i WANTED to recall my dreams because i wasn't putting in as much effort or work. So i did a test, i got a physical journal again. After having my physical journal, i soon noticed my recall increasing rapidly again. I took my time to write down my dreams, and really think about what was just happening. When i started to remember at least 2 dreams a night i moved onto a digital format, since my dreams were taking longer to write out. I then noticed that my recall CONTINUED to improve even when typing the dreams out. So i suggest starting off with a physical journal, building up a decent recall, then going to digital when it starts taking a long time out of your day to write all your dreams down. Because i found that, by jumping straight to digital my sub councious didn't think i actually wanted to remember my dreams as much because i never really took the time out of my day to think about them. But this is just my opinion, it could be completely different for you (: hope i helped!

[Mellanhavande]

I, personally, don't see the difference between handwritten journaling or using apps/computer software to register dreams. I've tried both, initially started with pen and notebook, but it was hard for me to keep being consistent about writing my dreams every morning. My dream recall wasn't brilliant either at the time. Then I tried using some DJ software, it was easier to put down dreams and save them, but I couldn't use the computer every morning and during the day the dreams faded, so I couldn't write them completely and there wasn't a big improvement in my dream recall. Lastly, I started using a DJ app for my phone and found it the best way to write down dreams and improve recall. What I mean is - if you are really motivated to write down every dream and every detail and don't have a problem with consistency, then go for a physical journal, but I think that using dream journal app is easier and definitely isn't less efective for improving dream recall.

[Barry]

I use a dream journal app on my phone, more privacy and less messing around getting pens and lights

[Bizarre]

These are helpful! Thanks! For the next week or so I think I'm gonna continue to use my phone but then try a physical journal for a bit to see if it changes my motivation?