Dream Recall Checklist: 7 Morning Steps and an Entry Template

Print this page or keep it open on your phone. It is the routine from the article How to Remember Your Dreams, as a checklist you can tick each morning. It builds a habit; it does not guarantee that you will remember any particular dream.

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The 7 steps

• Before bed: tell yourself you will remember a dream. Put a notebook and pen, or your phone, within reach.
• Sleep enough: aim for a full night. The Sleep Foundation cites at least seven hours for adults.
• Wake up gently if you can: a softer alarm, or no alarm on a day off.
• Stay still: before you move or check your phone, ask what you were just dreaming and replay it.
• Write right away: everything you remember, including feelings. Fragments count.
• Night wakings: if you wake with a dream, jot one keyword or replay it so you can record it in the morning.
• Once a week: read your entries and look for repeated people, places and feelings. Do not over-interpret.

Morning entry template

If you have frequent, distressing nightmares or sleep that leaves you exhausted, talk to a doctor. This checklist is educational and is not medical advice.