I absolutely agree with dan.jc in that it is a really good idea to write down any dreams you remember if you wake during the night. Doing this can drastically improve your dream recall. Many people even train themselves to wake during the night so they can take some dream notes.

I keep a little notebook under my pillow, so whenever I wake I just pull it out and jot down a few details and a little about the dream. That way when I write in my DJ I have some notes to help me remember. Sometimes I can't remember anything except what I have written down, but other times the notes are all it takes to bring the dream flooding back.