Do you remember your dreams? Once I used to think that I don't dream at all. But everyone dreams. I just couldn't remember them. When your remember your dreams in detail, it increases your chances of lucid dreaming. We will discuss various methods that will improve your dream recall.
Lets explore everything about dream recall including:
- Why is remembering your dreams important?
- How remembering your dreams helps in lucid dreaming?
- What are the different stages of sleep?
- List of most effective methods for remembering dreams.
How do you remember your dreams?
The first trick is to tell yourself that you will remember your dreams. The second part is to write your dreams in a dream journal.
Why is remembering your dreams important?
We have lots of desires. Most of our dreams are just a manifestation of our desires. Many of our desires are fulfilled multiple times in our dreams. So it will be fun to remember those experiences.
If you are alone and craving social experience, may be your mind is creating beautiful social experiences every night in your dreams. But you forget those wonderful moments.
All of us have sexual fantasies. These fantasies come alive in our dreams. If only we could remember them....
These were just few examples. I believe you have amazing imagination. So think of how your life will change little by little, if you could remember all the experiences you had in your dreams. You can learn from them. Or it can increase your confidence. You may discover some of your hidden fears.
Dream world is filled with amazing and weird experiences. It could be really fun and useful to remember them.
How remembering your dreams helps in lucid dreaming?
Remembering dreams is the most crucial step towards training your mind for lucid dreaming.
When you begin to recall your dreams, they start to get more vivid and interesting. And eventually some day, while dreaming you will ask yourself, Am I dreaming?. And the incredible and life changing journey of lucid dreaming will begin.
What fun is lucid dreaming if you can't remember your awesome experiences when you wake up?
What are the different stages of sleep?
It is essential to understand the stages of our sleep. It will help you improve your dream recall.
During the night, we go through 4 non-REM stages. After that, we enter the REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), where dreaming happens.
Stage 1: Light Sleep
It is right after we fall asleep. Here, we are relaxed, the eyes and muscle activity slows down, and we can awake easy. It can last around 10-20 minutes.
Stage 2: Preparing our bodies for deep sleep
Our heart rate and body temperature will lower. The 1st and the 2nd stage are referred to as “light sleep.”
This one lasts approximately 20-30 minutes.
Stage 3: Deep sleep begins
Here, we cannot be easily woken up. It starts 35-45 minutes after falling asleep.
Stage 4: Deep sleep continues
Stage 3 and 4 are often grouped because they are periods of slow-wave sleep (SWS). Slow-wave sleep is the deepest sleep that our bodies are entering through the night.
If you wake up someone who is in this stage, they will feel disoriented and dazed for a few minutes.
Stage 5: REM Sleep
REM sleep first takes place after you’ve been sleeping for around 90 minutes.
REM sleep lasts around 10 minutes, and during this period, our brain activity increases, our pulse quickens, and we have vivid dreams.
REM stages typically get longer and longer as the night goes by.
List of most effective methods for remembering dreams.
1. Regular sleeping patterns
We should maintain regular sleeping patterns. Means sleeping at same time everyday. This ensures your body and mind are ready to got to rest and you get better sleep. If you have irregular sleeping pattern, you may suffer from insomnia. And without proper sleep there are no dreams.
We all dream every night, about one dream period every 90 minutes.
The first dream of the night is the shortest, approximately 10 minutes in length.
Since the REM stage gets longer during the night, after 8 hours of sleep, dream periods can be 45 minutes to an hour-long.
Go to bed at same tie every night and wake up at same time. Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep, each night.
2. Keep a dream journal
A dream journal is a must-have for successful dream recalling.
When you wake up, quickly note down details of the dreams before the mind is distracted. You can also sketch and draw, which will make the process of remembering even more efficient.
You don't need to buy some fancy dream journal. You can use any notebook.
Keep your dream journal next to your bed while sleeping. You can also record your dreams on your phone. If you have a private room, I find recording audio is more efficient and fast.
3. Wake up during the night
REM periods occur at ninety-minute intervals. This is the time you will most likely be dreaming. Setting an alarm to wake you at these intervals is can be effective.
There is a high probability of recalling the dreams in the night than wait till the morning.
With a definite sleeping pattern, you can set the alarm at given intervals, for instance, after 90-100 minutes (during the REM stage) to wake up and record your dreams in your journal.
When you wake up in the night, the chance to recall your dream is much higher.
In the morning you may find out that you don’t remember anything about your dream.
Another thing is that even if you have some memories in the morning, we often only remember just our last dreams.
Wake up after at least 4 hours of sleep. Since REM stage occurs approximately in 90-minute intervals, by setting the alarm at 4.50, 6, or 7.5 hours after you go to sleep, you will wake up directly from the dream.
4. Remind Yourself
Put notes around you with the question "What did you dream?"
You can also place around your apartment notes with the sentence "Remember your dream"
Just like any other habit you wish to adapt, consistency is the key. Continually reminding yourself of what you dreamt helps you to connect waking state memory with dream state memory.
If you love reading books, these Reality Check Bookmarks are very effective.
5. Have your dream journal with you throughout your day
Lucid dreaming is possible if you commit to it. Having your dream journal with you throughout the day helps you focus your mind on the goal.
Many stuffs that you see or hear throughout the day will remind you of the dream that you had! So, having your dream journal comes in handy. You should note down whatever you remember.
Give a title to each of your dreams.
6. Notice Patterns
There are times that you had vivid dreams, and you were able to recall them easier than usual.
Be aware of small details that could affect your dreams.
Find out what affects your dreaming ability.
Food, Room temperature, Time, Music, Light....
Learning to recall your dreams may seem very hard, but with persistence, you will certainly succeed.
Be aware that there are factors that affect the brain’s function and natural process of dreaming and recalling such as: your state of mind, medications, alcohol, sounds, irregular sleeping patterns, depression and anxiety (that are often accompanied by nightmares).
You should ensure these are taken care of while attempting the methods to recall dreams.