3 Ways to Connect with Your Nighttime Dreams (And Remember Them)

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Mystics say that those who “forget” their dreams are those who can’t handle the reality of their dreams upon waking up. Their dreams are too intense, too strong, too powerful, and if remembered, their dreams would overwhelm the minds of those dreamers who forget them because their dreams, the dreams that sit closest to their hearts, would shatter the world around them. A shatter so strong, so profound, that there would only be room to live out their lives according to their highest potential.

I don’t blame those dreamers for refusing to see the messages transcribed to them in their dreams. I myself run away from my dreams at times, too. But there always comes a point where you will be curious, and you will want to open pandora’s box of dreaming. 

So how do we go from refusing to see our dreams to recalling vivid details and decoding meaning from them? We set the stage for dreaming. We create the soil to plant our dream seeds, and we make the conditions so ripe that our dreams have to sprout. 

There are two ways to start doing this: Eating for Dreaming and Setting the Stage for Dreaming. These tools are here to help you sleep better, and dream more:

1) Eating for Dreaming
Eating foods that are rich in melatonin will help you reach a dream state in your sleep. Why?Research shows that increasing your intake of melatonin helps restore your circadian rhythm, which ultimately helps normalize and deepend your REM sleep (where most dreaming takes place).

Food Alchemy for Dreaming:
-       Pumpkin Seeds
-       Poppy Seeds
-       Flax Seeds
-       Cherries
-       Bananas
Note: Foods that contain high levels of tryptophan also aid in REM sleep because tryptophan is ultimately converted into melatonin once it hits in your brain.


2) Setting the Stage for Dreaming
Setting the stage for dreaming comes in two parts – releasing tension and worry from the day, and creating conditions that deepen your sleep.

The Dream Alchemist’s Recommendations for Sleep:
-      Ditch your phone 40 minutes before bed.
Looking at your phone will stimulate your brain. The bright light stops your brain from releasing melatonin into your blood stream, and chances are, whatever you are reading is going to keep you awake. If you love to read before bed, reach a book, or anything that’s not beaming into your eyes.  

-       Spritz calming blend of chamomile and lavender oil pre-sleep.
According to aromatherapy principles, chamomile and lavender have a relaxing and soothing affect on the body. Spray around the room to unwind from your day and create space for the relaxation and rejuvenation that sleep brings to your body. 

-       Wear a sleep mask.
Melatonin is more readily released into your bloodstream when your body is in a dark setting, so help yourself cancel out any light pollution you are exposed to by placing sleep mask over your eyes. Not only will you have clearer dreams, but also you’ll have a much deeper sleep.  

-       Cancel out noise disruptions.
Eliminate the chances that outside noise will wake you up by switching on an air purifier or fan. No one likes to be woken up mid-dream, so let’s call for less noise disruption, and more deep sleeping.

There is one last thing you need to know about remembering your dreams – You have to allow yourself to remember them. “The only boundaries are the ones you set for yourself,” so un-set your dream blocking boundaries.

Repeat after me: “I allow myself to fully remember my dreams when I wake up in the morning.”  

I allow myself to fully remember my dreams when I wake up in the morning.

Dream on, dreamer.