How to dream more: 6 tips to increase how often you dream
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Want to know how to dream more? Learn 6 tips to increase how often you dream and if melatonin can help. Plus, how to remember your dreams and make them more vivid.
We all know that one person who says, “You’ll never believe what I dreamt last night!” Many people who dream can become obsessed with the stories their minds show them at night. Some people believe their dreams provide insights into their subconscious while others say they inspire creativity. And those who aren’t into the deep dream interpretation simply like the fantasy world that their minds create when they’re asleep.
If you’re fascinated by your dreams for any of these reasons, you might be wanting to learn how to dream more or have more lucid dreams. And while you can’t control everything—like the inevitable falling nightmare everyone has had at least once—you can do things to increase the amount of time you spend dreaming. Here are a few simple techniques and lifestyle changes you might want to try to make the most of the time you spend asleep.
6 tips to increase how often you dream
When you sleep better, you’re more likely to enter the rapid eye movement (REM) part of your sleep cycle when most dreaming occurs. This sleep cycle may increase the chances of having more frequent and vivid dreams, so here are a few tips to encourage deeper sleep.
1. Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to help regulate your sleep cycle and increase the likelihood of dreaming. To get enough REM sleep, aim for 7–9 hours of sleep each night.
💙 Try relaxing an hour before bed with Soften Into Sleep, a meditation that can help you release tension at night.
2. Enjoy a relaxing bedtime routine
Read, take a warm bath, or practice mindfulness to ease into rest and create an environment for dreaming. Avoid screens for at least an hour before bed, as the blue light can disrupt your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. If you must use devices, try a blue light filter or dim your screen.
💙 Explore these nine tips to help you build a better bedtime routine.
3. Create the perfect sleep environment
To improve sleep quality and increase your chances of dreaming, keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. The ideal temperature is about 60–67 degrees Fahrenheit (or 15–19 degrees Celsius). Use blackout curtains to block light, earplugs or a white noise machine to drown out noise, and invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows to support your posture.
Lastly, keep your bedroom tidy and use it only for sleep and relaxation if you can. This can help you create a mental association between your bedroom and restful sleep.
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4. Reduce stress
Practice meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises to help decrease anxiety so you can get a good night’s sleep, which may promote more vivid dreaming. Regular exercise can help too, but remember to avoid vigorous activity too close to bedtime.
💙 Keep stress at bay by tuning into 7 Days of Managing Stress, a stress reduction series hosted by Tamara Levitt.
5. Avoid heavy meals and stimulants
Heavy meals, caffeine, or alcohol before bed can disrupt sleep and decrease dream frequency. Opt for light snacks if you're hungry, and avoid caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime.
💙 Add mindfulness to mealtime with our session on the Benefits of Mindful Eating.
6. Stay hydrated (but not too much)
Drink water throughout the day to support sleep quality, but try to limit water intake about an hour before bed to prevent trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
During your wind down routine, you can sip teas like chamomile or valerian root. These are thought to have calming effects that may promote relaxation and improve sleep quality, which may lead to more vivid dreams.
💙 Listen to a relaxing Sleep Story before bed, like Why Do We Sleep, while sipping tea as part of a new nighttime ritual.
Does melatonin make you dream more?
Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces that helps to regulate your sleep-wake cycles. Levels rise in the evening to help you feel sleepy and decrease in the morning to help you wake up. Some people take melatonin supplements to help with sleep issues like insomnia, jet lag, or other sleep disorders, but it may also affect your dreams.
Some studies suggest that melatonin may enhance REM sleep, the sleep stage where most dreaming occurs. This might lead to more frequent and vivid dreams, and some people who take melatonin report more intense and memorable dreams.
Melatonin may also help with dream recall by enhancing overall sleep quality.
The effect of melatonin on dreams can vary from person to person. Remember to always consult a medical professional before you take any supplement, as they can interact with other medications or simply not be right for you.
How to remember your dreams
People like remembering their dreams for a number of reasons. Perhaps it sparks their curiosity about what they could be feeling on a subconscious level or could provide them with an escape from reality. Whatever your reason for wanting to remember your dreams may be, dream recall can become easier and more natural with time and practice.
Keep a dream journal: Write down your dreams as soon as you wake up, even if you can only remember bits and pieces of them. Over time, this can train your brain to pay more attention to your dreams. Review your dream journal during the day to help reinforce your memory, and increase your chances of remembering future dreams.
Set an intention: Before you go to sleep, reinforce your desire to remember your dreams. Repeating a phrase like "I will remember my dreams" may increase your chances of recalling them when you wake up.
Stay still upon waking: Moving too quickly when you wake up can cause you to forget your dreams, so before you get out of bed, lie still for a few moments and try to focus on your dream. Sometimes a single image or emotion can trigger the memory of the entire dream.
Reflect on your day: Before bed, think about your day and journal about it. This can help create a connection between your waking and dreaming life and associating both with memories and self-reflection. Thus, this practice may make it easier to remember your dreams.
Practice mindfulness: Regular mindfulness and meditation practice can improve your overall awareness and attention, including your ability to remember dreams. Meditate before bed to clear your mind and prepare for a restful night’s sleep. These six tips for meditating in bed can help you get started.
Wake up naturally: Waking up suddenly can startle you into thinking intensely about the here and now, making it harder to remember dreams, so try to avoid using an alarm clock if you can. Pay attention to your body's natural sleep cycles and try to go to bed early enough to wake up naturally. If you need an alarm, set one that wakes you gently, perhaps with soft sounds or a sunrise effect.
11 ways you can try to enhance dream lucidity and vividness
Vivid dreams can be more engaging and memorable than other forms of dreaming that are less detailed. Lucid dreaming—where you’re aware that you’re dreaming—can also allow you to control your dreams, which can let you safely explore your subconscious mind and have fun while you’re asleep.
1. Check in with reality regularly
Throughout the day, ask yourself if you’re dreaming. Try looking at your hands, checking the time, or reading a piece of text twice. In a dream, your hands might look strange, the time might change unpredictably, or the text might be unreadable or change at second glance. Checking whether you’re dreaming during the day can increase your awareness at night.
2. Use the wake-back-to-bed technique
Set an alarm to wake up after 4–6 hours of sleep, stay awake for about 30 minutes doing something quiet, like reading or meditating to keep your mind alert but relaxed, then go back to sleep. This may increase your chances of entering REM sleep and having vivid dreams.
3. Visualize your dreams
Before falling asleep, visualize a recent dream or imagine a scenario you’d like to dream about in as much detail as possible. This can help stimulate your mind and lead to more vivid dreams.
4. Try mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD)
Before you go to sleep, repeat a phrase like "I will realize I am dreaming" as you drift off to sleep. Having the intention in your mind as you fall asleep may help you remember it when you’re dreaming.
5. Use affirmations to promote dreaming
Before bed, use affirmations like "I will have a lucid dream tonight" or "My dreams will be vivid and clear." This can set a positive intention for your dreams.
6. Journal about your dreams
Write down your dreams regularly to help train your brain to pay attention to them. Becoming more aware of your dream patterns may increase your chances of having lucid dreams.
7. Adjust your sleep position
Experiment with different sleeping positions to see if they influence the vividness or lucidity of your dreams.
8. Get enough sunlight and enough darkness
Get natural light during the day and reduce light exposure before bed to help regulate your sleep cycle and improve the quality of your REM sleep. Improving your sleep cycles and natural circadian rhythm may lead to more vivid dreams.
9. Tap into your creative side
Creative activities like drawing, writing, or playing music can stimulate your imagination and enhance your dreams.
10. Practice meditation and mindfulness
Meditate before bed to help calm your mind and prepare for a restful night’s sleep. This may increase the chances of having vivid and lucid dreams. As you’re releasing stresses from the day, you may create space for your subconscious mind to flourish as you rest. These 10 mindful activities can help you release stress quickly at the end of the day.
11. Consider trying supplements
Some people use supplements like galantamine, choline, or vitamin B6 to try to enhance dream vividness and lucidity. Consult a healthcare provider before using any supplements, as they can have side effects and interactions with other medications you’re already taking.
How to dream more FAQs
Can certain foods or diets influence dreaming?
Certain foods and nutrients may influence your dreaming patterns. For example, foods containing tryptophan, like turkey and dairy products, can promote sleepiness and may impact the quality of your dreams. Foods rich in vitamin B6 like bananas, chickpeas, fish, and fortified cereals may help with recall.
Eat a balanced diet with a variety of nutrients to support your overall sleep health, and avoid heavy meals and caffeine close to bedtime, as they can disrupt sleep and reduce dream frequency.
What are some common reasons for not remembering dreams?
Several factors can affect your ability to remember dreams.
Poor sleep quality, such as disruptions in your sleep cycle, can hinder dream recall.
Stress or anxiety can interfere with sleep and make it harder to remember your dreams.
Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome disrupt sleep and impact dream recall.
Some medications, particularly those that affect the central nervous system, can interfere with dreaming.
Alcohol and drugs can alter sleep patterns and reduce the likelihood of remembering dreams.
A lack of interest in dreams can mean the brain doesn’t focus on retaining them.
How do sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea affect dreaming?
Sleep disorders can significantly impact dreaming. Insomnia, which makes it difficult to fall or stay asleep, can reduce the amount of REM sleep you get, leading to fewer dreams and poorer dream recall.
Sleep apnea causes repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep, disrupting REM sleep cycles and reducing the frequency and vividness of dreams. Treatments like CPAP therapy for sleep apnea may improve sleep quality and dreaming.
Restless leg syndrome can also interfere with falling and staying asleep, which can impact dream frequency and recall.
Narcolepsy is marked by excessive daytime sleepiness and fragmented nighttime sleep. It may lead to vivid (and sometimes bizarre) dreams or dream-like hallucinations.
Are there any risks associated with trying to induce more dreams or lucid dreaming?
Generally, there are few risks associated with trying to induce more dreams or lucid dreaming. Some methods, like the wake-back-to-bed method, may cause tiredness if you use them excessively. In addition, supplements like melatonin or galantamine may cause side effects or interact with other medications, so talk to your doctor before taking them.
Becoming more aware of your dreams might sometimes lead to an increase in vivid nightmares, especially if you have underlying anxiety or stress. Also, lucid dreaming techniques may increase the likelihood of experiencing sleep paralysis, a condition where you wake but temporarily cannot move your body.
How can dream interpretation benefit my mental health?
Understanding your dreams may reveal hidden thoughts, fears, and desires, and can help process emotions, particularly those you may not fully address during waking life. This may help in emotional healing.
Dreams can also offer creative solutions to problems, or provide new perspectives for challenges you face in waking life.
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