Am I doing something wrong?

[operationgold7]

I have really good dream recall, and I always write in my DJ, but some nights I just can't remember a single dream. Are there nights where you just don't dream or something? Thanks for help!

[bluefinger]

Well, technically, you dream every night... whether you remember it or not is something else. My dream recall as of late is really poor, but technically, the quality of sleep I've been getting recently is also really poor. So dream recall also depends on how much decent sleep you get as well. Also waking up during an REM cycle will dramatically improve dream recall (at least for the dream you had during that cycle). So all in all, it may be due to factors beyond simple exercises you do all the time in order to stimulate your recall. Don't be discouraged by the occassional lapses, and simply continue to improve your recall.

[Clairity]

bluefinger is correct. As for my recall, there are times when I know I've dreamed.. it's right there on the fringe of my memory but I can't seem to grasp the dream. There are other mornings when my alarm goes off and the dream is simply startled out of my memory. I find that my recall is best on those mornings when I can get 8 hours or more of sleep (i.e., Saturday and Sunday mornings) and when I can wake up naturally without an alarm.

[Vex Kitten]

I think we all go through periods of no recall. Various factors can affect recall. Lack of sleep, too much sleep, being startled awake, stress, something you ate, consumption of alcohol or certain drugs, and so on... The main thing to remember is that youdo dream. Everyone dreams. We just sometimes don't recall those dreams. Keep at it and your recall will come back.