What Is a Dream Diary and How to Lead It Correctly

Everybody knows that dreams are often illogical and bizarre. They are supposed to be like that since dreams are a gift of our mysterious subconsciousness, which is hidden from us most of the time. Therefore, dreams give us a unique opportunity to explore our minds and learn more about ourselves. However, memories of our sleeping journeys usually don’t last long. A great tool to help you preserve these memories and emotions connected to them is a dream diary. In this article, you will learn what a dream diary is, what are the benefits of leading it and how to start and keep one.

What is a dream diary?

A dream diary (also known as a dream journal) is a record of the events you experience in your dreams. Such journals serve different purposes: some people write down the creative ideas their subconsciousness presents, while others try to predict future events through dreams. In addition, keeping a dream diary is an excellent way to check on your mental state. Certainly, having a dream diary has plenty of benefits.

The benefits of having a dream diary

Writing down your dreams may be a bit troublesome. Nevertheless, there are some reasons which make it worth it.

• It improves your memory. It’s not a secret that often it’s almost impossible to recall the events of our nocturnal visions. To write down your experiences, you need to stretch your mind. It’s good exercise, which eventually will generally improve your memory.
• It boosts creativity. Dreams are a vivid fusion of subconscious thoughts and real events. You can discover some creative concepts you can apply to your life by analyzing your sleeping journeys. Those can be creative ways of solving problems or revolutionary artistic ideas – it depends on your mind.
• You understand your thoughts and feelings better. Sometimes people may not be aware of what affects them mentally or the impact some events have on their psychological condition. Dreams often address these triggers, and you can catch on to them by leading a dream journal.

Since you already know about the benefits of leading such a journal, you might be interested in some tips on how to start and lead it. Let’s look at them.

How to start and lead a dream diary?

You don’t need to put much effort into starting a journal. However, it may not be easy to make writing down your sleeping experiences an everyday routine. There are some tips on beginning and keeping a dream diary, so let us take a look at those:

• Find your diary. Usually, when people think about diaries, they imagine paper notebooks. Nevertheless, the only rule in keeping a journal is that your journal is supposed to be comfortable to use for you. Try to find out which way of keeping notes is the easiest in your case. It might be an app for keeping notes on your smartphone, an audio or video recording, or even a drawing.
• Set your alarm earlier. To make a dream diary a part of a busy morning routine, you need to find 15-20 additional minutes to fill it. It may be difficult at first, but eventually, it will get easier with practice.
• Keep your journal closer to your bed. Dreams don’t last long, so to write down as much as possible, there must be easy access to your journal in the morning.
• Write down as many details as possible. Sometimes even small things can change the understanding of a dream. Therefore, record everything you can recall: from where you are to the feelings you experience.
• Search for patterns. Often our subconsciousness tries to address certain problems. To identify the issue concerning your mind, look for repeating elements, such as objects, places, situations, or emotions.

These are simple recommendations on maintaining your sleep journal. Yet it is not mandatory to do everything in this list. After all, your sleeping diary should obey only your rules.

A dream diary can become a useful hobby, which will help you improve your memory, regulate your emotions, and boost your creativity. Explore your night visions, search for patterns, and solve life problems with the help of your subconsciousness.