the night, like some people say…hmm… so would it be a good idea to set an alarm clock at… 4:30 or something?
I find that if I set my alarm clock 5 hours after I fall asleep it works best. If I got to sleep at around 1o’clock, then I would set my alarm for around 6 o’clock. The last 90 minutes or so of your sleep cycle is REALLY essential for dreaming, as that block of time contains most of your REM cycle!
I find that 5 hours works best because I still have 3 hours afterwords to fall asleep and dream, sometimes even more if I choose to sleep for a total of 9 or 10 hours (which is always nice).
What time do you usually go to sleep at night? And have you tried napping during the daytime? I find that is very nice for remembering dreams; it feels as though you enter rem sleep almost immediately.