We all dream. In fact we usually dream four to seven times each night. The total time we spend in our dream world is ninety to one hundred minutes. Imagine what that adds up to over a typical lifetime. The problem is that most of the time we simply don't remember what we dream about.

Within five minutes of waking it's reckoned that around fifty percent of your dream content will be forgotten. After ten minutes as much as ninety percent simply can't be remembered. But you can take steps to change this. By using the following tips your powers of dream recall will be boosted dramatically.

· You must ensure that you are prepared to dream. You need to create the right environment in which to enjoy your dreams. Ensure that you are comfortable in bed and that you are neither too hot nor too cold.

· There are certain things you must avoid, such as alcohol, drugs, and spicy food. These can all adversely affect your dreams and your ability to recall them. Also avoid big meals near to bedtime as they can cause digestive problems.

· You need to prepare your mind to dream. If you clearly state your intent to dream and to remember the content you will increase your chances of doing so. Learn to visualize yourself waking from a dream with a clear memory of what happened in the dream and being able to record all the images and symbols you have seen.

· Ensure that you have a means of recording your dreams. This need only be a note pad and pen or pencil, or you may find it useful to use a voice recorder of some sort. Make sure that they are kept at your bedside ready to use as soon as you wake up. And also remember the need to have a light or lamp to hand so that you can see what you are doing.

· Stick to a regular routine with a regular bedtime and wake-up time. This will be a great aid to successfully recalling your dreams. Use an alarm clock to reinforce the routine.

· REM sleep is the part of your dream cycle when you have your most significant dreams. This occurs several times during the night and it is recognised that waking quickly during this time greatly increases the chance of dream recall. Therefore a good habit to get into is setting your alarm for unusual times during the night. Your subconscious mind will soon get used to this and it will become part of your routine.

· It is vital that you learn to wake slowly. When you wake up lie still, keeping your eyes closed. Do not talk – it is a good idea to ask your sleep partner to allow you some "quiet time" when you wake up. Concentrate solely on remembering the dream content and block out all the other distracting matters you might normally start to think about. Asking yourself the question "what was I just dreaming about?" will help you to recall more clearly.

· You must write down everything you remember about your dream. Do not put it off until later as you will surely forget key images or symbols. So get writing, or recording, straight away.

· Sometimes you will have no clear recollection of your dreams. However, do not despair, as there are still methods you can use to promote recall. Continue to lie still with your eyes closed. Relax and simply examine the way you feel upon waking. What sort of mood are you in, what emotions were you feeling as you woke up. Ask yourself questions such as " What were you just thinking?" or "What are you feeling now?" Try to focus on your dominant emotion and write it down straight away.

· Unfortunately there are still going to be times when these methods produce nothing. The secret is to not worry about it. Just let it go because you can be sure that, once your mind is trained to recall your dreams, at some point during the day a clue will suddenly appear. You can boost the chances of this by being prepared to talk about your dream experiences. Also don't be afraid to daydream, as this will help train your subconscious mind to reveal its contents.

Follow these tips and you will soon start to see results. Practice these methods and within days you should see your dream recall improve.

Your dreams are expressions of the thoughts, feelings and emotions contained in your subconscious mind. They will feature symbolic representations of these facets of your inner self. Learning how to remember what happens in your dreams is the first step to being able to fully understand them. Get it right and a whole new world will open up to you. Your dreams can come true.