I’ve noticed that there appears to be a “window” period about 2 hours before going to sleep (lasting maybe 15 minutes or so) wherein one’s dreams are influenced by waking events. Yesterday, one of my friends called me at about this time, and sure enough, he was in my dream (I owed him a dog or something and he came to collect?)

Again I’ve noticed this on Feb. 13, 2008. I was viewing the Wikipedia page on Grizzly Bears about an hour and 45 minutes before going to sleep, and sure enough, I dreamed I was being chased by grizzlies.