I Wrote Down My Dreams Every Morning for a Week—Here’s What I Noticed

Even with all we know about sleep, dreams still remain largely a mystery. Sometimes they are strange. Sometimes funny. And sometimes, downright scary. 

While dreams have intrigued scientists for centuries, interest in exploring them has lately burgeoned beyond the lab. From social media to books and podcasts, more and more people are curious how decoding their dreams might help with stress or even guide personal growth and self-discovery.

Sadly, I barely remember most of my dreams. And when I do, they usually feel like a jumble of nonsense. So, the idea of documenting my recollections to see if they might start to make more sense got me curious. Could paying closer attention to my dreams actually tell me something useful, or at least interesting?

My Dream Journal Experiment 

With a diary by my bedside and pen at the ready, I gave it a try for a week. What I discovered surprised me. 

Day 1

Spent the whole night tossing and turning and couldn’t figure out why. It’s frustrating because I do feel tired. Also, I’m supposed to write down my dreams, which I can’t do when I’m unable to sleep. I finally crashed from exhaustion sometime after 6 a.m. There were no dreams that I could remember. I was out like a light.

Day 2

Another night of poor sleep, I’m beginning to wonder what’s happening. I followed my usual bedtime routine, but I still couldn’t get my mind to relax. Ended up listening to old radio murder mysteries into the wee hours, trying to quiet my mind. I found myself worrying that I may not have any dreams to write down, again, and that didn’t help. 

Day 3

I woke up feeling groggy. Seriously considered emailing my editor today that I may not be the right fit for this assignment. And that’s when it clicked: At the back of my mind, I was a bit anxious about not being able to remember my dreams. And that anxiety is what’s been keeping me from falling asleep. And because I’m not sleeping, I’m not dreaming, which is making me more and more anxious. Realizing this loop felt like a small breakthrough. 

Day 4

With yesterday’s realization in mind, I talked myself into letting go of the pressure. I reminded myself that what I was worried about had already happened—it couldn’t get any worse. I redirected my thoughts away from the assignment as I went to bed and finally got a few hours of rest. Vaguely remember a dream, but the details escaped me. Still, it’s something, right?

Day 5 & 6

Now that I’ve identified the issue, I can fall asleep more easily. On the sixth day, I remember seeing my grandfather in a dream—we lost him to cancer in 2017. I couldn’t recall every single detail, but I remembered enough to feel relieved. This was the first time all week that dream recall felt natural instead of forced.

Day 7

I slept soundly—probably a mix of sleep debt from earlier this week, the relief of nearing the end of the experiment, and the quiet boost of confidence from finally remembering some dreams the last couple of nights. Dream recall was sharper today; I woke up with two vivid dream fragments in mind. I was surprised by how detailed they were. Feels like a small reward for pushing through. 

What Is the Point of Dream Journaling?

Let’s take a look at how writing down our dreams can help us:

To Gain Personal Insight

Dream journaling offers the chance to find connections between your dreams and waking life by helping you identify patterns, symbols, and underlying thoughts and emotions, says Dr. Christina McCrae, director of Sleep and Health Innovations in Neurobehavioral (SHINE) Science Center at the University of South Florida.

Studies suggest that reflecting on these dream contents may help with emotional processing and promote self-reflection and self-understanding. 

To Improve Creativity

A study published in the Journal of Creative Behavior found that participants who kept a daily dream log showed improved scores on creativity tests, such as the Torrance Test of Creativity.

To Help With Nightmares

It can often be very difficult to go back to sleep after having a nightmare. Writing it down may help “put the nightmare to bed” by providing an emotional release, helping you do the same, in turn, both physically and emotionally, says Lauri Leadley, clinical sleep educator and founder of Valley Sleep Center, Arizona.

Over time, it may also help you work through unresolved fears or trauma in a safe environment and gradually desensitize you to their contents, making it easier to cope with them. 

Should You Try Writing Down Your Dreams?

According to behavioral sleep medicine clinician and founder of the National Sleep Center, Andrew Colsky, dream journaling is suitable for most, especially those who want to better understand their emotions or increase self-awareness. Artists, writers, and other creatives can also benefit from documenting their dreams to spark unique ideas or gain fresh perspectives.

It might also be a helpful tool for someone who has trauma, PTSD, or night terrors, provided it’s used in conjunction with therapy, says Colsky. 

That said, if you’re the type of person who has a lot of anxiety or finds yourself obsessively thinking about things that you can’t control, dream journaling may lead you down a rabbit hole of overthinking as it doesn’t provide direct answers, Colsky points out. 

How Do I Start a Dream Journal?

If you do choose to give it a try, here are five expert-approved tips to get the most out of dream journaling:

• Write as soon as you wake up: Dreams fade quickly, so it’s important to write them down quickly in as much detail as possible, says Colsky. Start with the basics like who, what, when, and where. Also, note down any special emotions or strange symbolism, Colsky adds. 
• Find which format works for you: It could be detailed paragraphs, freestyle writing, or bullet points. You can also record your dreams as voice notes on your phone or draw what you saw.
• Give a title to each entry: The title should capture the basic gist of the dream. “This will come in handy as you compare dreams over time,” says Colsky. After you have a few journal entries, start looking for recurring themes, emotions, people, and places, he suggests. 
• Declutter your mind: Colsky recommends journaling before going to bed. Writing down whatever is on your mind can help clear your head and calm your thoughts, making it easier to drift off.
• Rewrite the script: If you’re dealing with frequent nightmares, Leadley suggests rewriting them into a more positive story to help shift your mindset before sleep. 

And lastly, “be curious about your findings but don’t stress over them,” reminds Colsky. 

Alternatives to Dream Journaling

If dream journaling isn’t your cup of tea, but you still want to reap the benefits of dream recall, consider trying:

• Morning reflections: Create a morning ritual where you ask yourself basic questions like, “How did I feel last night?” “What emotions did I experience during sleep?” or “Are there any thoughts or pictures lingering in my mind upon waking?” Colsky notes that these questions can help lead to better self-awareness and emotional processing.
• Dream incubation: This technique involves consciously directing your thoughts toward a specific topic or question before bed. The idea is that your subconscious mind might continue to process it and offer insights through your dreams.