How do you write the date your dream took place on?

**dazedRIVER** · 12-01-2011 04:26 AM

I'm stuck right now; I'm completely clueless on how I'm supposed to write down the date I had the dream on.

I've been writing it like this for now:
[x] (22-23rd November '11)
[x] (24-25th November '11)
[x] (28-29th November '11)
Like, for example, "22-23rd November '11" = "the night between the 22nd and the 23rd November 2011". But I'm looking for a more simple way to do it, so I'm wondering, how do you guys do it?

**Somniloquist** · 12-01-2011 04:41 AM

I had trouble making up my mind on how to do this too. In the end I decided to use the day before the night of the dream, so for example if I was recording a dream that I had over the night of Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, I would write it as Nov. 30. Then I just made a note in the index of my dream journal that the dates given were the days before the nights of each dream.

I don't know if there's a standard way of doing it, but that works for me.

**dazedRIVER** · 12-01-2011 04:44 AM

Ok, cool. That sounds like a pretty good way (better than mine at least), thanks!

**Oneironaut Zero** · 12-01-2011 04:48 AM

It's really up to what's easier for you. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

Personally, I usually write the date of my dream journal entry as the date on the 'following day' of the night I went to sleep. This is because 1) I usually fall asleep after midnight, and 2) When I'm writing the dream journal entry, it's usually the 'next morning' anyway, so it only makes sense to date it as the morning that I'm writing the entry.

So if I have a dream tonight (the date now is 11/30/2011), I will mark the journal entry as 12/01/2011, by the time I write it.

**dazedRIVER** · 12-01-2011 05:25 AM

Ok, I might actually write it like that. I too usually fall asleep pretty late so that would make sense. Thanks!

**Darkmatters** · 12-01-2011 05:54 AM

Yeah, I used to do the "Nov23/24 2011" thing too - but now I do it like O_Z does. Same reasons - I'm usually not asleep till after midnight and it just makes sense to date it the same day I'm writing it.

**Hukif** · 12-01-2011 02:38 PM

If I went to sleep on the 23rd, will put the date as 24th when writting it. Too lazy to change the dates, plus I would have to edit past posts in order to change the dreams that happened late and early on the 23rd or any day, and argh...

**Zoth** · 12-01-2011 03:10 PM

Before I go to bed, I put the day (being it after midnight or not), example: today will put 1/12/11 when I go to bed. I also put a positive word like this example:

1/12/11 I'm dreamed with:

This way I force my brain to realize I'm expecting him to work in order to recall my dreams for this night when I wake up

**MissLucy** · 12-02-2011 10:44 AM

I blog my dreams directly from my phone, immediately after waking up (and later in the next day I copy them to my DJ here, I should probably copy the timestamp too!), so whatever the date says (after midnight it's the next day, and most of my dreams occur after midnight) is the date I consider I had the dream.

It's personal, of course, find a way that you're comfortable with

**madvorak** · 12-02-2011 07:39 PM

I always write the date of the following day. After all I don't have any DJ entries about dreams before midnight.

**fOrceez** · 12-02-2011 10:57 PM

Seems like i do it to differently to most of everyone else.. I write down the date that i fell asleep upon. I write the date once in the margin, and the the following night when i wbtb to write down my dreams, i write down the date next to the first dream of that night.

**Arra** · 12-02-2011 11:05 PM

I've always wondered that too. I write the date on which I'm writing it. Because really, most of the time that you're dreaming is in the am anyway. For me, all the time.

**Robot_Butler** · 12-02-2011 11:51 PM

I just guess. Sometimes I am a week or two off. I am so befuddled in the middle of the night. The other day I dated it something wacky like July 1992.

**fOrceez** · 12-03-2011 01:05 AM

Originally Posted by Robot_Butler

I just guess. Sometimes I am a week or two off. I am so befuddled in the middle of the night. The other day I dated it something wacky like July 1992.

lmfao