Develop dream recall, or the ability to remember your dreams, by asking yourself, "What was I dreaming?" when you first wake up. If this is your first thought, your recall will be stronger because no other thoughts will interfere with remembering your dream, according to Laberge in his book "Lucid Dreaming." If you don't recall your dream at first, keep trying and you may recall fragments.
Record your dream as soon as you wake in a dream journal. Dream recall is essential because when you are familiar with your dreams, you can begin to recognize when you are dreaming. The more dreams you record, the easier dream recall will become, according to LaBerge.
Once you develop dream recall, learn to recognize dream signs. For example, when you are dreaming about dinosaurs or meeting someone who is deceased, you will know that you are not awake. When this happens, tell yourself in your dream, "I am dreaming."
Verbalize during the day or before going to sleep what action you will take when you recognize a dream sign. For example, if you are having nightmares about dinosaurs, tell yourself the next time you see one in your dream that you will yell, "Go away." When you face your fears, they go away.