Dreams occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a phase of the sleep cycle. If you are not sleeping enough, or frequently wake up throughout the night, your REM cycles may be getting interrupted. You need to make sure to get between 7-9 hours of sleep on a regular basis and to go to bed around the same time every night so your mind and body know what to expect. Many people believe that learning how to notice and remember your dreams is the first step to achieving lucid dreams.  Before you go to bed, remind yourself that you plan on waking up and fully recalling your dreams. This will eventually train your subconscious to pay better attention to your dreams. Here are some ways to better remember your dreams:  Upon waking up, ask yourself what you dreamt. Don't get out of bed immediately, or it'll be harder to remember what happened. Instead, stay in bed and focus on the details of the dreams. Part of the reason people "forget" their dreams is because they wake up and immediately begin thinking about other things. Get in the habit of asking yourself this question every single morning. Write down your dreams. Do this immediately after you wake up, and keep a journal and pen at your bedside so that you can quickly write down your dreams before you forget them. This will also help you notice your dream patterns over time. Make sure to keep the lights dim and to stay in bed while you write the dreams down. Staying in the twilight state will help you to remember more of the dreams you have. Reality checks are tests that you can perform, both while dreaming and while awake, that help you differentiate between the real world and the dream world. Successfully performing a reality check while asleep can help you trigger a lucid dream, as your dream-self becomes aware of its state. Try the following reality check tests:  Try to fly. Obviously, this will only work in a dream.   Look at your reflection in the mirror. If your reflection is distorted, blurry, or not there, then you are probably dreaming.  Try to read a clock. The image will be too blurry to read in a dream.   Flick the light switches on and off. Light switches do not work in the dream world. Also, see if you can turn the lights on and off with your mind. If you can, then you know you're dreaming. Look at your hands. Check to see if they look normal from close-up. If you're dreaming, then you might have less or more fingers than normal. Try using an electronic device. Computers and telephones do not work properly in dreams.. See if you can "breathe" while closing your mouth and nose. If you can, then you're dreaming. Try to put an item, such as a pencil, through your hand, (the palm). If you are dreaming, the pencil will either go through inexplicably or hang in the air around your hand. If you aren't you'll get a graphite mark on your hand. Try to read something. In most dreams, the words will be inconsistent and random. As you get in the habit of recording your dreams, start looking for signs that you're really dreaming. It could be a recurring image, like an island you have never seen before in real life, or a recurring event, such as losing your teeth or getting so dizzy you can't move. Look for patterns that let you know that you're really dreaming and then write these down. Knowing these signs can help you be more aware of the fact that you're dreaming because you'll be able to recognize them more easily.  Once you recognize one of the dream signs in your dream, you can tell yourself that you are, in fact, dreaming. One psychologist believes that video games familiarize people with operating in an alternating reality and viewing oneself from outside one's own body, skills that translate into the dream world. Her research concluded that people who played video games were more likely to experience lucid dreams, and were better at controlling them. Don't play violent video games before going to bed, as these can provoke nightmares. Make sure you stop playing them at least an hour before bed if you want to try this technique. Melatonin is a hormone that is commonly found in plants, animals, and microbes. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and has also been shown to boost REM sleep and to make dreams more vivid. Others also say that melatonin can help people fall asleep faster. If you want to be able to dream more vividly, fall asleep more deeply, and therefore, to have more control of your dreams, then you should eat some of the following melatonin-rich foods:  Cherries Oats Almonds Sunflower seeds Flax seeds Radishes Rice Tomatoes Bananas White mustard Black mustard As you go about your day, whether you're sitting in class or checking the mail, make a habit of asking yourself, "Am I dreaming?" If you do this regularly, then it'll make it more likely for you to ask yourself if you're dreaming when you're actually having a dream. And if you do this, then you'll be able to realize that you are dreaming and to take control of your dreams, choosing whatever you want to happen. Asking yourself whether you're dreaming or not can heighten your alertness, which will also make you more likely to lucid dream.
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One-sentence summary -- Get enough sleep. Pay attention to your dreams. Perform reality checks while you're dreaming and throughout the day. Look for dream signs. Play video games. Eat foods that are rich in melatonin. Ask yourself if you're dreaming throughout the day.


Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Continue placing dough on the baking sheet by the teaspoon until the baking sheet is full. Leave about 1" (2.5 cm) of space around each cookie. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are starting to brown.
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One-sentence summary --
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Drop 1 teaspoon of dough onto the baking sheet. Bake the cookies, checking them after 8 minutes. Cool the cookies on the stove for 2 minutes. Loosen the cookies from the parchment paper with a spatula and place them on wire racks. Brush the tops of the cookies with lemonade concentrate using a pastry brush. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with sugar and allow them to cool completely before serving. Finished.