# Lucid Dreaming > Attaining Lucidity > Dream Signs and Recall >  >  Things that create more vivid dreams

## DreamGuy88

I'm just wondering if there are certain things you could do to improve your dream recall. I've read all about keeping a journal and whatnot, but it's really hard to do that when you can't remember a single dream for a week. I'm just wondering if anyone has any personal things they do before they go to bed to help keep their dreams more vivid so they wil remember them better.

Things such as:
- Any certain foods that will help out?
- Do you leave music/tv on while sleeping? If so, what kind? how loudly?
- Does it matter how you position your body while sleeping?
- Do you sleep with any light in your room?
- How warm do you keep the room/yourself?
- Any other habits before you go to bed?

I'm convinced that most of these things can play a role in how you dream, I'm just not sure how. 

I personally don't use music/tv while sleeping, I've always had a problem falling asleep with background noise. I always sleep on my right side. I try to keep all light out of the room. I like lots of blankets on the bed becaue my room is fairly cold. I am usually on the computer up until I go to bed.

I'm sure your body somehow picks up on these habits and reacts differently to them, I am just wondering how that would affect your dreaming. There has to be some explanation as to why some nights I can have great vivid dreams where everything is clear and I remember it, and then other nights I can remember very little; not necessarily because I am still developing recall, but because the dreams are shorter and not as clear when they come.

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## Pelirrojo

I tried drinking chocolate milk last night (after reading the thread titled "chocolate!" on one of the forums here).  Drinking it before bed didn't do anything, but I had amazing dreams after waking up at 6am and chugging some more.  It seems like anything you eat before bed probably won't affect your dreams very much (other than placebo effect) because by the time the good REM cycles come around, the chemicals the food releases will already be out of your system.  If you can tell yourself to wake up after about 5-6 hours of sleep, that is the best time to eat/drink any of those foods because 1, your body will be processing them while you sleep and 2, simply waking up and become aware that you are awake will cause your mind to become more active.  This should hopefully make your dreams more lifelike and vivd, and maybe even increase your chance of becoming lucid.

A little while ago I read that you shouldn't be on your computer within like 30 minutes of going to bed (I used to do this too hehe) because for some reason it will make it harder to fall asleep.  I have no idea why this is true or even if it is true, but I know getting off the computer 30 minutes earlier before bed had helped me fall asleep quicker.  This hasn't affected  my dreams at all, but you might as well give it a shot - maybe it'll help you.

I'm having the same problem as you with regards to recalling things very well some nights, and not at all the other nights.  I've been told that this is normal, and even the pros have nights where they don't recall anything (albeit this happens less often to them).  This is usually called a dry spell.  There isn't any surefire way to end a dry spell, you really just need to not lose hope and get frusterated.... just reassure yourself that you will start recalling again soon and you will.  Most of this stuff is all about your state of mind - if are frusterated/stressed out and convince yourself that you won't remember your dreams tonight, you won't. 

One last thing I'd like to recommend is that you somehow change up the way you're sleeping.  I haven't heard other people talk about this much, but I find that at least with me when I change something about the way I sleep my mind is more active, causing more vivid dreams.  
Some things you could do might be: 
     -try using different blankets, 
     -sleep between sheets instead of underneath them, 
     -use 2 pillows, 1 pillow, or no pillow at all, 
     -sleep on your other side, 
     -sleep in a sleeping bag ontop of your bed, 
     -sleep with your head at the opposite end of the bed, 
     -sleep in a different bed (maybe sleep in the guest room if you have one, or sleep on a                                                        couch in your house somewhere)


None of what I said is guarenteed to work, you really just need to experiment and find out what works for you.

I hope that helps  :smiley: 
- Pete

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## Distant Clone

In the three nights that I started a new technique, I had some promising results. I started a thread about it here. The idea is that you can tell your dream mind to increase the emotional intensity of your dreams and they will be more vivid, and much easier to recall. Emotional events usually are.

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## Dust Mote

I've found that wearing socks to bed increased intensity. Someone else also recommended wrapping your feet in aluminum foil... hey, it worked for him!

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## DreamGuy88

I've always worn socks to bed and have never had that great of dreams. As for the aluminum foil, I'm calling BS on that. Honestly...who would do that? Or even think of trying for that matter?

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## Dust Mote

People do the darnedest things to get lucid. There is a thread that went on for 6 pages about wrapping your feet in foil. (on another board). I stopped reading it when it hit around page 4. I just looked to make sure I could find the link if you wanted it, and on page 6 the author announced that it was an April Fools Joke. But at least one poster (who wasnt in on the joke) had an LD by the foot-foil method. 

Guess Im just too gullible. But I do have more intense dreams when I wear socks to bed. Maybe it doesn't affect you because you have always done it?

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## Ev

Vitamins help both vividness and recall, try multivitamin supplements. 
Melatonin with Vitamin B6 brings your dreams to the next level of awareness and vividness, also improves frequency and recall..

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## DreamGuy88

I'm going to try sleeping at the opposite end of my bed tonight. Just to see if it makes any difference.

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## Vex Kitten

> _Originally posted by DreamGuy88_
> *I'm going to try sleeping at the opposite end of my bed tonight. Just to see if it makes any difference.*



I was just going to suggest that you switch to opposite end of the bed. I've taken to sleeping at the 'wrong' end and tend to sleep better and recall more dreams when I do . 

A while ago, I discovered that if I sleep with my head facing north and my feet south, my dream recall is a shade sharper. My dreams are very vivid and seem to last a bit longer. I also have most of my lucid dreams when I'm 'directional sleeping'. My boyfriend switched to sleeping this way too and he began recalling a dream a night, where as he only used to recall maybe one every few months. 

Don't know why it works, but it does. (for us anyway)

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## Neruo

> _Originally posted by Vex Kitten_
> *
> 
> I was just going to suggest that you switch to opposite end of the bed. I've taken to sleeping at the 'wrong' end and tend to sleep better and recall more dreams when I do . 
> 
> A while ago, I discovered that if I sleep with my head facing north and my feet south, my dream recall is a shade sharper. My dreams are very vivid and seem to last a bit longer. I also have most of my lucid dreams when I'm 'directional sleeping'. My boyfriend switched to sleeping this way too and he began recalling a dream a night, where as he only used to recall maybe one every few months. 
> 
> Don't know why it works, but it does. (for us anyway)*



Hmmm, I might try laying in my bed different tonight too : )   I think that there are alot of factors that can indeed influence it... like magnetic fields, electronic stuff, sounds, heat ect.

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## TygrHawk

> _Originally posted by Vex Kitten_
> *A while ago, I discovered that if I sleep with my head facing north and my feet south, my dream recall is a shade sharper.*



I recall reading a book about Astral Projection when I was in college.  One of the things it suggested was to sleep with your head toward the north.  I never put much stock in AP, but perhaps there is something to this in relation to having vivid dreams, and perhaps increasing the chance of LDs.  I've never experimented with it myself.  Currently, I sleep with my head toward the south.

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## spiritofthewolf

1. Have you ever had a Lucid Dream? yes

2. When did you have your first Lucid Dream? June 11th, 2005

3. How long have you been working on Lucid Dreaming? since my first LD

4. How many LDs have you had? 29

5. How often do you have an LD? at least one every 14 days...if not 2...but i rarely go past 14 days without having an LD

6. How long does a typical LD last? seconds to mintues...shortest about a second...longest about 10 to 15 mins

7. When did you have your last LD? 2 days ago ( Feb 21st 2006)

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## donson69

yeaa i hav noticed i have alot better dreams if i wear socks. strange? yes lol i will try switchin round which end i sleep at also.

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## Neruo

To bad that wearing socks REALLY stinks.

But really, warm feet = better dreams, faster asleep, and stuff

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## DreamGuy88

I love wearing socks to bed! If not then my feet area always freezing, even when I pile on the extra blankets.

I wonder if that whole directional thing is more just that you're sleeping in a different position than you are used to. Anytime I can actually take a decent length nap in the car, at school, or just anywhere outside my normal bed I seem to dream more vividly (or at least just recall them better). My theory is that in your usual position you are more relaxed and tend to be less aware of your surroundings so that transfers over to your dreams.

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## Dagget

Maybe switching around the side of the bed your head is on can make a different.

I'll try that tonight, and I'll let you know if I recall any decent dreams  :smiley:

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## crowe

I can't sleep at all with socks on or my feet covered.   And I can fall asleep after working on the computer.  In fact, I can fall asleep with the first 5 minutes of trying.    But then, I'm alot older than most of you and have had lucid dreams for decades, so I have probably condidtioned myself to do so, as most of you all are doing.   Hey, keep it up- it pays off.

I've heard alot about the north/south thing too.   Does anyone know why this works?  It would be interesting to find out.

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## Thrash

I was reading on another forum about the lucid pill (yes, placebo) You're supossed while inside your dream and tell yourself that this will make you do anything (fly, stay in a dream for a week) Everyone on the other forum tried and claimed it worked very well, but im gonna have to try it to belive it.

And im sure the socks on the feet have to do with retaining heat or creating too much heat ,maybe cause something sexual.......?

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## StevenWaltham

totally agree with socks! discovered this about 3 weeks ago and its lituarlly like a switch. if i wear them i have really unique vivid dreams. if i dont i barely remeber them. 

Another one i randomly discovered was sleeping with a fan blowing gently on my face and head. its also a great hangover cure! 

im starting to wonder if its something to do with blood circulation. both of these things induce much better circulation. 

im in my early 30s have quite normal ciculation i think and am a very easy sleeper so i would be curious if anyone else with a different makeup has a similer experiance.

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## LouaiB

for dream recall, wake after 4.5 hours of sleep, and then every 90 minutes and each time write your dreams if you remembered any. And take calea z after like 5 hours of sleep for more vividness, recall and awareness. Calea z is a supplement that contains malotonin. Buy it from amazon and consult a doctor before taking them.
Note: write calea z on the search box in www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com to find the review. The review has the proper link to amazon

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