Never created a password? Just relax. You know that amazing feeling you get when you wake up from a perfect dream?

Draw pictures and write down directions, using lots of detail. Um, what? wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. If you're especially impatient, it may not work at all; relax! According to Harvard University psychologist Deirdre Barrett, the most important thing that you can do to increase your chances of having lucid dreams is to remind yourself that you want to right before you fall asleep. Now you can do this verbally, mentally or even by writing it down (if it works for you). Like an athlete practicing a routine, you are training your mind to recall its dreams. Imagine yourself flying, and it might happen in your dream. Be careful - some people don't fall asleep that easily after being (rudely) awakened in the middle of the night! Perform reality checks throughout the dayTo realize that you are in fact dreaming when you’re dreaming, some pros recommend reminding yourself that you’re awake when you’re awake. Waggoner, who wrote Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self, says “good dream recall is essential.” When you wake up, whether in the middle of the night, or in the morning, it is best to stay in the same position, and note whatever you remember from your dreams. For some people, trying to read or tell time is a useful reality check (letters and numbers in dreams tend to be fuzzy), while others suggest trying to flick a light switch on and off (which should work normally in reality, but often doesn’t in dreamland). Just be aware that it might not happen for a couple nights. With practice, this habit will carry over into your dreaming state and you will be able to realize if you are dreaming or not by looking at them. Try to walk through the target dream in the exact sequence you expect it in your dream. How do you do this? Also if you had a negative or stressful day think of the positive times. Think hard, but maintain a calm posture. When I was younger, I remember being able to fly in what I thought was real life. If you recognize that you often dream about your old girlfriend, for example, you can use this as a trigger for becoming aware that you're dreaming. For any sort of dream recall or influencing of dreams, or for lucidity, simply getting enough sleep is one of the most boring pieces of advice, but one of the most important. Even mundane things like cooking food, climbing a ladder, or skateboarding can be fun when you realize you're in full control. Instead, the brain communicates by means of metaphors. She suggests saying to yourself, "Tonight when I dream, I want to realize I'm dreaming." This is the first step of finding out how to control your dreams. This will be your dream journal, or a dream diary.

Try not to dream about upcoming events (competitions, tests, etc.). Learn how to control your dreams with these five techniques below. But what if we tell you this isn’t as much of a fantasy as people believe? This article has been viewed 2,046,673 times. Small factors like these seem insignificant in real life but in a dream, they help you understand that you aren’t awake any more. Do not get tense. Dreams stay deep in your mind as a memory, and it isn't unusual for certain dreams to show up again and again. For more information on lucid dreaming, read. Hit snoozeThere is some evidence that you’re more likely to have a lucid dream if you wake up during REM sleep (that’s “rapid eye movement,” not the band) and then drift back off again. Don't be afraid of the dream. Or if you’re talking to a friend, try and notice his or her face. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Influencing your dreams can really happen – you can use your dreams to truly control what’s happening, to change what is occurring, solve problem and sometimes even put an end to recurring nightmares. When you wake up, try to stand up slowly and that should help. If you were dreaming, try to remember your dream. This is scary, but harmless. (It also makes for super-entertaining reading.). We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Yes, it does increase the chance of it happening. So the next time you’re feeling tired during the day, just go to sleep! If you leave it any longer, the memo… Are you sure you want to remove this item from your Recipe Box? If you do not, there will be no way of lucid dreaming. You may be surprised by some of the answers you get straight from the horses mouth. To create this article, 190 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. When you are dreaming, you rarely have the same amount -- or color and shape -- of fingers as you do when awake.

It is not always a literal translation. When you do wake up, be as still as you can and don't disrupt the body. Set the journal close to your bed and keep a pen nearby so that you can quickly write down what happened in the dreams you remember when you wake up. Your subconscious might use your fears against you. Then, when you fall asleep, you should dream about it! Remember not to get distracted, no matter what! In the morning, before you check your phone or start … For an extra measure, use a visual medium to help remind you of the problem, like the face of a friend you’ve argued with, a mathematical problem written in a notebook, etc. Buy or start using a small notebook. Well, in Inception, Gobb and every single one of his team members have a totem in their pockets, which would tell them whether or not they are in a dream. Another way to control your dream is to look at an analog clock and try to make the second hand move backwards.