Dreams vs. Real Dreams

O.K. For the past two weeks my dream recall has been in the toilet for a number of reasons. One is that I'm not writing some of my dreams down because I mistake them for me just day dreaming in bed and here is why.

This morning I think I may have woken up during REM sleep because It seems I was dreaming but I thought I wasn't but I'm still not sure if it was a dream! I wake up maybe from a dream or not, I look at the clock and lay in bed and start day dreaming while awake. Here is the thing I'm confused about. Some times I will fall asleep and dream again and wake up thinking I was just laying in bed day dreaming but I'm still not 100% sure that It was a dream. Help me out with this.
Sorry if I just rambled and repeated things but I'm a little too lazy to re-read it :P.

I've experienced this "is it just morning daydreaming" doubt several times. A couple nights ago, I decided to try just going with it. I though to myself "ok maybe it's a daydream, but maybe a daydream can be like a real dream". I started being aware and critical of the daydream. I tried to observe details and reach out and touch things. Suddenly, it seemed that the daydream turned into a real dream. It's like a 2D image turned into a 3D environment. The dream faded after a few seconds, but it was promising.

I had it again but this time I was sure it was a dream. What happens is that I wake up at 8AM and go back asleep. It felt like only 20-30 mins went by but it was 9:40AM when I woke up so I went through a whole REM cycle that lasts much longer than any others that night.

i have begun having this happen recently where i note in my DJ "i think i am just daydreaming all this." yet later on when i finally wake up and think back on the dream it feels as if it was quite clearly a dream.