How Do I Increase My Dream Recall?

[Chewnie91]

I am fairly new at this whole Lucid Dreaming concept. I have started a Dream Journal for the last 2 weeks or so, the technique i have been using to remember them best is setting an alarm to wake up in my REM period. I have heard alot about waking up naturally after your dream periods end, however i cannot seem to wake up on my own, so the cycle restarts and all my previous dreams are forgotten. Any tips on how to wake up naturally from a dream?

[psychology student]

Hi, welcome to the forum. You can improve your recall by keeping a Dream Journal (a diary recording all your dreams). This may also help you to wake up after dreams, or make you more aware of the brief awakenings that occur.