Provide an empty space around your waking up time.
This usually takes the form of some time in bed to move from dreaming to waking states of consciousness. If you need an alarm to wake you, use one that is not jarring, that will gently rouse you to wakefulness. During the moments of transition let bits and pieces of the dream to float into your awareness. Sometimes you will be able to recreate the entire dream starting with bits and pieces, other times that is all you will have to work with. Sometimes nothing will be there.
Keep a "recording device" at your bedside.
This could be as simple as a scrap of paper and a pencil, a journal, or even a tape recorder. Many people find it useful to keep their dreamwork in a journal to refer back to so themes can be picked up. However, in some cases the threat of having the information read by prying family members needs to be dealt with first. After a safe arrangement can be made, then you can keep them in your journal (or other "recording device").
Tell your dreams you are interested in listening and learning from them.
By doing just the first two steps you are likely to experience an increase in recalled dreams. Take the attitude that you are inviting a friend in for some conversation - what would you do to be inviting? Ask them to come in. Be friendly towards them. Stop doing other activities and pay attention to them.
At night before drifting off to sleep tell yourself that you will dream and that you will remember your dreams. Then when you wake, write down whatever you do remember, even if it's just a tiny fragment or impression. Sometimes dreams are shy and need to be encouraged. Treating them kindly and honoring them even when they just peep around the corner will help.
Accept your dreams as they are.
This does not mean you aren't going to work with them, or avoid rewriting or changing them. It does mean that you won't minimize their presence by saying things like "I have dumb dreams", or "my dreams aren't interesting". Accepting nightmares and scary dreams seems like an impossible contradiction, but acceptance includes accepting the reality that they are scary and you can do whatever you need to do to calm down and make yourself feel safe again. Two concepts that help deal with nightmares are:
Clean out your mental space and environment.
Alcohol and drugs have definite impact on dreams. Even chocolate has a reputation for affecting your dreams. If you are serious about wanting to allow dreams to enter become aware of your eating and drinking habits. There are some claims that vitamin B6 will help dream recall.
A natural environment helps dreams come. People will often dream more vividly and remember them more easily when they sleep out-of-doors. Bring your dream journal when camping.
Telling your family or friends that you live with can be helpful and a fun way to create a sharing environment within your household. Children will respond to dreamsharing easily, but they don't react well if pushed.
Dreams come at their own time schedule
Be patient. The dreams will be available to you. Perhaps while you are waiting there are some old dreams from childhood or from an earlier period of your life that could use some work.
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