It seems that autosuggestion is a popular tool for improving dream recall. But it is hard for me to understand how to use it. It seems that you must repeat a phrase in your mind ("I will remember my dreams when I awake.") until you fall asleep. The first night I tried this I got three dreams. Then I got none for three days. To use autosuggestion, are you just supposed to keep on doing that for a week or so, and then you will start automatically recalling dreams better? Because it seems to me that you can't use any LD techniques when you are using autosuggestion.

On a separate note, I awoke this morning disappointed, as I remembered no dreams. Suddenly, I found myself thinking of my friend for some reason. As I concentrated on him, I suddenly remembered every detail of my dream last night. It was amazing. Is that supposed to happen?

On yet another separate note, I would like to ask what the best technique is for someone who :

1) Goes to sleep at 9-10 o'clock.
2) Cannot get up in the middle of the night unless all I have to do is just stay awake in bed for a while (with lights off.)
3) Must wake up at 7:15.
4) Is willing to practice for as long as it takes and is truly dedicated to Lucid Dreaming!

Thanks for reading this long post