3 Ways to Increase Dreaming (2024)

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Co-authored bywikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 11, 2022References

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   Practice reality testing while you’re awake. Reality testing is a technique where you consciously study your surroundings to confirm that you’re awake. During the day, stop for a minute and ask yourself, “Am I awake?” Then look around and confirm that you recognize all of your surroundings and the people around you. If everything looks normal, then say, “I am awake.”^[1]

   • This technique trains your mind to be more aware of your surroundings and tell whether you’re awake or dreaming. With practice, you can remain alert during your dreams and remember them more effectively.
   • Practice reality testing 10 times during the day to build your skills with it. This makes it easier to perform while you’re asleep.
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   Follow a low-carbohydrate diet to increase your chances of dreaming. There is some evidence that a low-carb diet helps you fall into REM sleep better at night. This may be linked to the way that the body metabolizes carbs. Try reducing your carb intake to increase your chances of having more dreams curing your REM cycle.^[2]

   • Reduce your consumption of breads, pasta, and starchy vegetables. Also cut out sweets and desserts, which are high in refined carbs from added sugar.
   • When you do eat bread products, switch them to whole wheat varieties instead of white kinds. Eat whole wheat bread, pasta, and brown rice for a source of healthy carbs.

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   Exercise for 30 minutes a few hours before bed. Regular exercise helps improve your sleep overall. However, exercising too close to bedtime can stimulate your body and keep you awake. Wrap up your exercises 3-4 hours before bedtime so you’re relaxed enough to sleep.^[3]

   • Exercise for at least 30 minutes 5 days per week.
   • Aerobic exercises like running, biking, swimming, or kickboxing are most effective for improving your sleep. Even a light walk every day is good exercise that will improve your health.
   • Lighter exercise like yoga or stretching is okay to do closer to bedtime. These don’t increase your heart rate as much.
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   Build a positive state of mind to have pleasant dreams. While some techniques can give you more lucid dreams, they don’t control what the content of those dreams are. The content is often related to your state of mind. If you’re stressed or depressed, you might end up having intense nightmares or stressful dreams, which would be an unpleasant experience. Take steps to improve your mental health and mood to have positive dreams instead.^[4]

   • Reducing stress is a great way to give yourself a more positive mindset.
   • Train yourself to think positively in your everyday life. See the glass half-full and tell yourself that everything will be okay. Positive thinking helps reduce stress and has other health benefits as well.^[5]
   • If you regularly have intense nightmares or can’t control your stress, try talking to a therapist for some more effective techniques to use.

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   Relax before bed to fall asleep faster. A relaxing bedtime routine prevents insomnia and helps you reach the REM stage sooner. 30-60 minutes before bed, start winding down and getting yourself into a more relaxed state. Stop doing any stressful activities like work or paying bills. Instead, do quiet activities that won’t keep you awake.^[6]

   • Good bedtime activities are stretching, meditation, reading, taking a bath, and listening to calm music. Use any combination of these to make yourself relax.
   • Avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before bed. The light from these devices can stimulate your brain into staying awake.
   • Keep your bedtime routine consistent. This trains your brain to know that it’s almost time for bed.
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   Take melatonin to increase your time in the REM stage. Melatonin is a hormone that your body produces to put you to sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, take a melatonin supplement to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. This increases your amount of time in the REM stage, and makes dreaming more likely. The common dosage is one pill before bedtime, but confirm the directions on the bottle.^[7]

   • You can buy melatonin supplements at most pharmacies. Always take it exactly as the package instructs you to.
   • Melatonin usually doesn't interact with any medications, but speak with your doctor before taking it if you regularly take medication to confirm that it's safe.
   • Some foods also contain melatonin, which can help you sleep if you have them before bedtime. Good sources are milk, corn, rice, cherries, and nuts.^[8]
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   Sleep in a dark, cool environment to stay asleep longer. The ideal sleeping environment is 60–67°F (16–19°C), dark, and quiet. Use thick curtains to block out light if you have to. This way, you’ll fall asleep faster and are more likely to stay asleep longer, increasing your time in the REM stage.^[9]

   • Also don’t have devices like a TV in your room. This can keep you awake and reflect light at you.
   • If you live in a noisy area, try using a white noise machine to block out noises and lull yourself to sleep.
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   Try sleeping on your stomach for more intense dreams. There is some evidence that people who sleep on their stomachs experience more intense dreams. If you’d like to see if it works for you, try to consciously fall asleep on your stomach. This might take some getting used to, but in time it could give you more dreams.^[10]

   • Sleeping on your side could also produce regular dreaming. People who sleep on their backs, however, tend to dream the least.
   • Sleeping on your stomach is not the best position for your back and neck. If you suffer from body pains, don’t force yourself to sleep in this position.

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   Try to reality test during your dreams. This is difficult, but reality testing while you dream can help you remember your dreams better. When you experience a dream, stop and think, “Am I dreaming?” Look around for signs that you’re in a dream, like being in an environment you don’t recognize. Then think, “I’m dreaming.” This makes you more lucid during your dreams and makes it more likely that you’ll remember them.^[11]

   • Try to practice recognizing when you're in a dream. This will help you be more lucid during the dream.
   • If you don’t reality test while you’re awake, then it will be harder in your dreams. Practice during the day and while you’re asleep to master the technique.
   • This technique takes some time to get used to, but over time, it can make you much more alert in your dreams. You might even be able to start controlling what happens while you dream.
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   Write down your dreams in a sleep journal as soon as you wake up. The main reason that people forget their dreams is that events during the day push the dreams out of their memory. Prevent this from happening by keeping a notebook next to your bed. As soon as you wake up, start writing down the dreams you had. That way, you’ll remember them more vividly.^[12]

   • You might not have a full description of the dream. Write down all that you remember, even if it’s just notes.
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   Set an alarm to interrupt your REM sleep to recall dreams better. When you leave REM sleep, you start forgetting the dreams you had, even if you’re still asleep. Interrupting REM sleep can wake you in the middle of a dream and make it easier to remember. If you really want to remember your dreams, try setting an alarm 4-5 hours after your bedtime. This will probably wake you during REM sleep, and possibly a dream.^[13]

   • Remember to write the dream down as soon as you wake up.
   • Note that if you suffer from insomnia or other sleep problems, this may not be a good idea. You’ll have trouble falling back to sleep and could get up sleep-deprived.

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