Dreams are the body's way of processing life's stimuli. The things you see, smell, hear, or do just before bed can pleasantly affect your dream activity. Furthermore, stress and expectations about one's dreams have the ability to even affect sleep. You can learn how to have enchanting dreams by making some changes in the environment in which you rest and imagining a nice ending to the stories that animate your night visions.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Creating the Right Environment
Step 1. Choose some relaxing music before bed
It has been shown that music can affect the content of dreams. For this reason, the music you listen to several hours before bed can improve or worsen the dream activity. If you choose a calm, quiet and repetitive song, you will be able to have pleasant dreams.
Step 2. Use white noise
Some studies show that they can help you sleep. If you sleep soundly, your dreams may be more beautiful. You can use white noise in several ways:
- Small electric white noise generators are currently on the market. At a relaxing volume, they reproduce static sounds, the tumors of crashing sea waves and the sounds of the forest. Get one and turn it on when you go to sleep to see if it helps you dream peacefully.
- You can also purchase or download white noise sound recordings via the Internet. Try playing them on a stereo, computer or smartphone when you want to fall asleep and have a good dream.
- Some people find the sound of the fan running at the lowest power pleasant.
Step 3. Resort to aromatherapy
Fragrances have been shown to affect your mood, so if you surround yourself with pleasant scents (like lavender, for example), you can foster your dream activity, overcome recurring nightmares and fight insomnia. For this, try using fresh flowers and aromatic oils, for example. You can also light some incense or a few scented candles as bedtime approaches. However, you should make sure you turn them off before bed to prevent them from starting a fire while you sleep.
Step 4. Make yourself comfortable
To sleep well and have good dreams, you should stay in a comfortable place and recline in a comfortable position.
- The mattress, sheets and pillows must be suitable for your needs.
- Sleep on your side if you can, rather than on your back or on your stomach.
- Make sure the bedroom temperature is cool (around 15.5 ° C). If you have no way of setting it, you can open a window or use a fan to cool the air, or add another blanket to keep you warmer when you lie down.
Part 2 of 4: Eat Well
Step 1. Avoid going to bed hungry
It is always best to avoid having a large meal before bedtime. However, if you don't eat enough, you may wake up in hunger pangs, disturbing your sleep. If necessary, have a light snack before falling asleep, perhaps with a banana and a glass of milk.
Step 2. Try eating foods that contain tryptophan
Numerous studies show that this amino acid increases sleepiness and reduces the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. The human body uses tryptophan to promote the production of serotonin, which is considered important for sleeping well. So, by eating foods rich in tryptophan, you can have better dreams. These foods include:
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Fish
- Pumpkin seeds
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Soy
- Tofu
Step 3. Increase your vitamin B6 intake
It is essential for a number of bodily functions. Furthermore, during early research it was discovered that there is a certain correlation between the vividness of dreams and this substance. To make sure you're getting adequate amounts, try taking a supplement or eating foods that are high in vitamin B6, including:
- Banana
- Avocado
- Beans
- Beef
- Pig
- Walnuts
- White meat
- Corn
- Whole grains
- Vitamin B6 enriched cereals and bread
Step 4. Avoid stimulants and depressants
If you are trying to have pleasant dreams, avoid coffee, caffeinated drinks, nicotine, and other stimulants. The effects of these substances can disturb sleep. Likewise, you should avoid CNS depressants, such as alcohol. While they may initially induce drowsiness, they eventually hinder sleep and impair dream activity.
Part 3 of 4: Reduce Stress
Step 1. Avoid playing sports before bed
Regular exercise is good for your health, can reduce stress and promote a good night's rest. However, it has a stimulating effect, so it would be best not to engage in strenuous activities just before bed. Otherwise, there is a risk of not falling asleep or waking up during the night, ruining the possibility of dreaming peacefully.
If you want to make sure you sleep well, exercise at least three hours before bed
Step 2. Don't work in bed or just before you lie down
If you go to work when you should go to sleep, your brain will be completely absorbed. This mental state can disturb sleep and hinder dream activity. To ensure the best results, try to keep your sleeping place separate from the place you work.
Step 3. Relieve stress
If you are depressed when you go to bed, chances are your dreams will be affected. Typically, stress can disrupt sleep and dream activity. Before going to bed, don't fight, don't get angry, don't deal with stressful issues, such as paying taxes, and don't engage in major professional or school projects. If you need to solve some headaches, try to do it well before bed so that you have time to relax and prepare your mind for quiet dreaming. You can also test one of the following methods for relieving stress before falling asleep:
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Breathing exercises
Part 4 of 4: Dreaming
Step 1. Keep a dream journal
Get in the habit of writing down your dreams within 5 minutes of waking up. Experts believe that this is the time when a person can remember how much he dreamed before forgetting it.
This exercise can also improve the ability to recall dreamed images and have a more satisfying dream activity. If you get used to writing down everything you dream about, you will be more likely to remember it
Step 2. Try to check the content of what you dream about
Some research shows that it is possible to master the stuff of one's dreams. Basically it means that, if you want to dream about something, you are able to do it on condition that you concentrate when you are about to fall asleep. Once awake, immediately think if you have dreamed what you wanted.
- If you're just going to have a good dream, start thinking about a place, activity or circumstance that makes you feel good and stay focused until you fall asleep.
- If you want to dream about a certain person or a certain place, start imagining the object of your dreams while you fall asleep.
- If you want to try to solve a problem or a puzzle in a dream, try using your imagination. For example, if you have to write a text or a document, try to imagine a sheet of paper and a pen and, as you fall asleep, suppose you start writing. As you fall asleep, you may dream of the structure by which to articulate the text to be processed. When you wake up, immediately write down the ideas you had in your dream.
Step 3. Reword the nightmares
If you have recurring nightmares, try reviewing them while awake. In other words, when you dream of something bad, you should imagine a new ending in order to turn it into a good dream. This is a technique known as "imagery rehearsal therapy" (IRT). Over time it can help you reduce the anxiety caused by the thought of nightmares and prepare you to dream better.
- For example, if one of your recurring dreams is to fall into an abyss, imagine that you have wings and can fly, so it won't be a problem if you put a foot wrong and fall.
- Similarly, if you dream of being chased down a dead end by a multitude of zombies, imagine that there is a door at the end of the road by which you can escape.
