How can I improve dream recall?

[captainEO]

I need help. I'm having difficulty and I know it's interfering with my lucids. I could remember fine before, but now I can't what are your tricks and tips for remembering your dreams??

[Fuzzman]

Dream Journal is the main thing used to improve recall. You have to get into the habit of wanting to remember your dreams, so having a way to record them builds up that desire. Other techniques could include B Vitamins, reviewing your day in your head before sleep, memory techniques, but these may be subjective

[captainEO]

Dream Journal is the main thing used to improve recall. You have to get into the habit of wanting to remember your dreams, so having a way to record them builds up that desire. Other techniques could include B Vitamins, reviewing your day in your head before sleep, memory techniques, but these may be subjective Okay, thanks!

[moSh]

Simply trying to remember your dreams proactively (i.e. planning on remembering them before you go to sleep, thinking about them constantly, etc.) has a positive effect - and the dream journal contributes to this. Waking up soon after your REM cycle (the ~30 minute period where you dream) means dreams will be fresh in your mind. This can be quite hard to accurately plan, but bear in mind each set of dream cycles (light sleep, deep sleep, dream sleep) tends to be roughly 90 minutes long, so plan to sleep for 6, 7 1/2, 9 hours, etc. Additionally, do you drink or smoke? These often reduce my recall to virtually nothing the night after.

[Robot_Butler]

Make a point of telling yourself, before bed, that you will remember your dreams. Have your dream journal close at hand, open to the correct page. You can even write in your journal an affirmation like, "I will remember all my dreams."

[LucidDreamGod]

When you first wake up, don't leave your current position (being in the place you were in when the dream took place makes it easier to recall), and think of at least some details of varies dreams, jot down some of the main characters, places, events that took place on a piece of paper. Then later when your more awake, take a look at them and you'll find that some of the other parts of the dream will come to you.

[captainEO]

Simply trying to remember your dreams proactively (i.e. planning on remembering them before you go to sleep, thinking about them constantly, etc.) has a positive effect - and the dream journal contributes to this. Waking up soon after your REM cycle (the ~30 minute period where you dream) means dreams will be fresh in your mind. This can be quite hard to accurately plan, but bear in mind each set of dream cycles (light sleep, deep sleep, dream sleep) tends to be roughly 90 minutes long, so plan to sleep for 6, 7 1/2, 9 hours, etc. Additionally, do you drink or smoke? These often reduce my recall to virtually nothing the night after. Thanks for the advice, will do. And no, I don't drink or smoke

[captainEO]

Thank you everyone, I think I'm back on track

[whiterain]

recalling your day before bed is great, but i think what might be slightly better is recalling the last 15-30 mins at regular intervals throughout the day. this has the added bonus of helping you get lucid more often because you can notice in a dream that you have arrived in an odd location often in an odd way, or you just dont remember how you got there and bamm must be dreaming here's a good thread that worked for a lot of people http://www.dreamviews.com/f15/if-you...05/index2.html

[captainEO]

@whiterain thanks