Ten Tips Psychologists Advise for Remembering Your Dreams

1. Accept that each dream has value, regardless of how silly or trivial they may seem at the time. Acknowledge that every dream is part of a larger picture that doesn’t become clear until a later time when all the pieces fall into place.

2. Plan to record your dreams.  Keep a notepad or audio recorder close to your bed, within easy reach. Have the pad open, the recorder cued.

3. As you drift off to sleep, tell yourself that you are planning to remember your dreams. Visualize yourself waking from a dream and describing it (writing it on your pad, dictating it into your audio device).

4. On days when you don’t have to get up at a specific time, allow yourself to sleep until you are awakened by a dream, rather than by an alarm or other interruption.

5. Upon awakening, get in the habit of lying still, letting your dreams recur in your mind. Often, only the last fragment lingers; remain still until you’ve retrieved as much as possible.

6. If possible, keep your eyes closed as you record your dream. (A digital recorder comes in very handy here.) With a little practice, you can switch on a recorder or write blindly on paper–even with eyes shut. (Neatness does not count!)

7. Record your dream imagery in the order you remember it; don’t get bogged down putting it in chronological order. Don’t waste time trying to analyze it–just get it recorded before it’s forgotten.

8. Once you’ve recorded a much of your dream as possible, move your body into another usual sleeping position to promote further recall. Lie still for 10 or 15 more minutes.

9. Remind yourself not to open your eyes throughout all these steps. Opening your eyes usually disrupts the recall facility and compels you to wake further.

10.Sharing your dreams often triggers further recall. Consider telling them to a friend or joining a dream exploration group.