On a couple of occasions recently I have woken up and not had any recollection of a dream. But, after keeping my mind fairly empty for 5 - 10 minutes they have come back. It really surprised me because I thought if I couldn't remember them on first waking they would be lost for good.

So, don't give up too quickly when you first wake up. Chill out for a while and don't think about the day ahead.

Also, I have been using the MILD method. Part of this is to set an intention to wake after you dream and to remember your dream. This has increase my dream recall too. Now I sometimes wake in the middle of the night and realise that I have woken because I've just come out of a dream. The dream is still fresh in my mind so it's easier to recall.