What time are you going to bed and waking up? I THINK I noticed I have more vivid dreams (or maybe can just recall better) if i don't go to bed late and wake up earlier. Maybe it's because I'm not dead tired?

When you wake just lay there with your eyes closed and go through a list of names/activities in your head. This works for me, you should get a feeling or a picture inside your head of that person or something you were doing. Then back track, think of how you got there.