Not too much luck with dream recall yet.

Sorry for the long post, guys. I tend to ramble. :?

Two nights ago I started trying to improve my recall, which is at least below average. The first night I went to bed at 9, and drank lots of water an hour beforehand. There was a lot of commotion though, and I couldn't get to sleep until at least 10. I gave in before then and went to the bathroom. I tried to use affirmations, I think I gave up too soon.

My alarm clock was set to 3 (I think...) and when I woke up I couldn't remember anything. Maybe I moved too much. No luck the following morning either.

Last night I drank (probably not enough) water, and set my alarm to three. I got to sleep at 9:30 or so, and tried more affirmations. I woke up at three from the alarm, and still didn't remember any dreams, at least for a minute. Then I remembered the last few seconds of a dream I just had. Only the last few details, barely anything. I mumbled them in a voice recorder.

This morning, I couldn't even understand the recorder, but I remembered the main details I went over a few hours before.

Overall, I just need some tips on how to improve my recall. I haven't been successful lately.

I find that just taking time to record a dream is enough, at least for me, to remember the dream later on during the day.

My dream recall was awful before. I would wake up remembering nothing. My nights were simply stretches of black. I improved my recall somewhat recently and Ive been having results. The other day I remembered two dreams, one when I woke up after 6h of sleep and another after my WBTB 3h of sleep later.
Btw, at the beginning, I had much more success with recall when I would do a WBTB. Somehow, I find that long sleep (5h and up, I'd say) numbs my memory and thus makes dreams harder to remember. WBTB is the perfect solution to this problem.

Anyway, to get back on point, I would suggest you keep trying to remember your dreams upon waking. I find it rather hard not to drift off to sleep right after waking up, especially during the night, but I've also found that if you truly want to stay awake and that you force yourself, without moving ofc :P, you can, and that gives you time to recall.
I use a handwritten DJ but the notes I take during the night are mere key points to complex dreams and that is enough for me to remember the rest of my dream and be able to elaborate in my DJ later.

Determination is essential to this whole recall business. Nights that I really want to remember, I do. Other nights just pass by like all my other dreamless nights before. Recently I've started remembering dreams on random nights because I'd listen to the Subliminal Recall mp3 (you can find it in lucid aids) just before going to sleep.

Anyhow, I recommend the Subliminal Recall mp3 as well as a few WBTBs and I hope you will get at least a few good dreams to record and get you into the whole recall/record state of mind.

Hope you make progress soon.
Happy Dreaming

It sounds like you are on the right track. Keep it up. It might take a few days to develop it as a new habit. You could also try shifting your alarm in one direction or the other.

I try to train myself to notice the times I naturally wake up throughout the night. It is easiest to remember a dream when you wake up directly out of it.