If you suffer from troublesome nightmares or just want to dream about something in particular, you can use different methods to influence dreams. You can do this by preparing yourself mentally, checking your surroundings, and during the dream itself.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prepare Mentally
Step 1. Think ahead of what you want to dream about
You can exert great control over your dreams by mentally preparing yourself before bed. If you want to dream about a specific person or a particular topic, thinking about it before bed can help.
- Many people want to solve some problems while sleeping. If you're not sure how to finish a project, you may decide to use dreams to find a solution. To do this, think about the problem before going to bed: visualization can be particularly useful, especially if the problem is not abstract. If it is a matter of another person, imagine the person himself; if you're struggling with an art project, imagine a blank canvas or page.
- If you want to dream about a particular topic or person, try to visualize it: if you are trying to dream about a deceased relative, try looking at photos of the person in question before going to bed; if you are interested in a particular place, look at pictures of that place. Imagine that certain place, person or topic as you fall asleep - it can help you lead dreams in the right direction.
Step 2. Before bed, remind yourself that you are going to influence your dreams
Remembering this verbally or mentally can be of great help. Before going to bed, try to think or say, "Tonight I want to realize I'm dreaming; I want to control my dreams."
Step 3. Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep a night is essential to control the direction of your dreams. The sleep phase known as the REM phase is the one in which we dream the most; lack of sleep results in a reduction in REM sleep. Try to sleep 8 to 9 hours a night: this will increase your ability to influence dreams.
Step 4. Consider using a smartphone app
There are applications that can help you influence your dreams: if you have trouble doing it yourself, consider investing in one of them.
- These applications offer a wide range of "sound scenarios", including for example "Peaceful Garden", "Space Shuttle" and "A trip to Tokyo". Music generally starts playing early in the morning, when the chances of being in REM are highest. Some applications even perceive the person's movements during sleep and start playing the chosen music when the movements stop, because sleep is entering the REM phase.
- In some applications, a voice reminds us that we are dreaming and encourages us to take control of sleep, to achieve lucid dreams.
- Remember that not all applications have the same effect on every person: even if you use them correctly, you may not be able to effectively influence your dreams.
Method 2 of 3: Check Some Factors
Step 1. Try to control sounds and smells while you sleep, as they can affect your dreams
For example, if a movie is playing in the background, your dreams may incorporate some themes. Try to control the environment in which you sleep as much as possible, so that you can influence your dreams however you like.
- Avoid unwanted background noises. You could turn on a white noise machine. If you want to sleep peacefully, consider playing some soft, relaxing music or other light sounds in the background while you sleep.
- Smells can also affect sleep. If someone cooks early in the morning, you may be dreaming of the food in question. Try to fill the room with smells that remind you of what you want to dream about. For example, if you wish to dream of Christmas time as a family during your childhood and associate the smell of pine with that time, try to get a pine aroma diffuser. Smells are closely related to memory. If you have trouble dreaming about a particular person, sprinkling a few drops of their usual perfume on your wrist can help.
Step 2. Know that sleeping on your stomach can affect your dreams
This is important to know if you often sleep on your stomach. As your breathing becomes shorter, you are more likely to have erotic dreams. If you don't want to, avoid sleeping on your stomach.
Step 3. Use cheese
Some types of cheese can affect dreams. If you like to eat it, you can use it to your advantage to give direction to dreams.
- A study with several participants demonstrated the connection between cheese and the type of dream. Gorgonzola seems to cause bizarre dreams; cheddar dreams related to celebrities and Red Lancashire quiet dreams about past events.
- Be careful if you use cheese to change your dreams: it can often cause indigestion and consequent difficulty sleeping. If you decide to eat it before bed, consume it in small amounts.
Step 4. Learn how mood can affect dreams
If you are sad or depressed, the colors in the dream may be muted; instead if you go to bed restless, you may dream of natural disasters such as cyclones or floods.
Method 3 of 3: Dream
Step 1. Develop a way to tell if you are dreaming
Sometimes dreams can feel real, so it can be difficult to understand that they are not reality. Develop strategies to see this.
- Time is a way to distinguish a dream from reality, because it is notoriously inconsistent in dreams: for example, a clock may strike 8 in the morning and just after 2 in the afternoon. If you wonder if you are dreaming or not, try looking at a clock.
- Often in dreams it is difficult to read: many people cannot, and those who do often say that the language was meaningless or it was hieroglyphics. Trying to read a book or newspaper can help you understand that you are dreaming.
Step 2. When you wake up, stay in bed for a moment
Since we often try to influence dreams in order to solve a problem, it is important to remember them. Don't pop out of bed right away, as getting out of REM can make us forget the dream. Instead, try to stay in bed for a moment and remember it, starting to recall the emotions that accompanied it: it can serve to trigger the memory of other details.
Step 3. Consider keeping a dream journal
It's another way to help you remember them. Write them down in as much detail as possible as soon as you wake up. Keeping a journal can help you review your dreams later to interpret their meaning.
