Lucid Dreaming: Rem Sleep's Role And Workarounds

Lucid dreaming is when you are aware that you are dreaming while you are asleep. It is a phenomenon that occurs when the sleeper is conscious during a dream and can sometimes control what happens next. While lucid dreaming typically happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, some people report experiencing it outside of REM sleep.

REM sleep is a period of deep sleep marked by eye movement, faster breathing, and increased brain activity. It usually occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep and lasts for about 10 minutes, with each subsequent REM period being longer than the previous one. However, it is possible to experience lucid dreaming outside of this sleep stage.

Some people who have lucid dreams outside of REM sleep may be taking a nap, as the body enters REM sleep more quickly during short sleep cycles. Others may be sleep-deprived, causing them to enter REM sleep earlier than usual. Additionally, lucid dreaming can occur during non-REM sleep, but these dreams are typically not as emotionally intense or vivid as those that occur during REM sleep.

While the majority of lucid dreams happen during REM sleep, there are reports of people experiencing lucid dreams outside of this sleep stage. This could be due to various factors such as nap times, sleep deprivation, or the fact that lucid dreaming can occur during non-REM sleep, albeit less frequently and with less intensity.

Lucid dreaming can occur outside of REM sleep

Lucid dreaming is a phenomenon in which a sleeper becomes aware that they are dreaming while they are still asleep. It is a form of metacognition, or awareness of one's awareness. Lucid dreaming usually happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the dream-stage of sleep. However, some sleep scientists believe that lucid dreams may also occur just outside of REM sleep.

While lucid dreaming typically occurs during REM sleep, it is possible for it to occur during non-REM sleep as well. Dreams during non-REM sleep are usually not as emotionally intense or vivid as those during REM sleep. However, it is still possible to have a lucid dream during this stage of sleep. In fact, some people report having lucid dreams during naps, which typically occur during the day when the body is not in a deep sleep state.

Additionally, there is scientific evidence that lucid dreaming can occur during all stages of sleep, even deep sleep. Advanced meditators, for example, have been found to remain lucid during deep sleep, although this is not a dream state and does not involve pictures in the mind. Instead, it is a state of conscious lucidity without visual elements.

Furthermore, the very first record of lucid dreaming appears in the treatise "On Dreams" by the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. In it, he describes an instance of self-awareness during a dream state, indicating that lucid dreaming has been a subject of interest for centuries.

While lucid dreaming during non-REM sleep is less common and reliable than during REM sleep, it is certainly possible. The conditions for lucid dreaming may be more easily met during REM sleep, but it is not the only stage of sleep in which it can occur.

REM sleep occurs 90 minutes after falling asleep

REM sleep, or the dream stage of sleep, usually occurs 90 minutes after falling asleep. During this stage, your brain is highly active and dreams tend to occur. It is characterised by rapid eye movement, faster breathing, and increased brain activity.

The first REM stage typically lasts for about 10 minutes, with each subsequent REM stage getting longer. The final REM stage may last up to an hour.

If you are aiming to lucid dream, this knowledge of REM sleep timing can be useful. Lucid dreaming is when you are conscious during a dream and may even be able to control what happens. It usually occurs during REM sleep, so knowing when REM sleep typically occurs can help you time your lucid dreaming attempts.

There are various techniques to help induce lucid dreaming, such as the Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD) technique, which involves creating an intention to recognise when you are dreaming and carrying that intention into the dream state. Another technique is Wake Back to Bed (WBTB), which involves waking up in the middle of the night, staying awake for a period, and then returning to sleep, ideally disrupting and later returning to REM sleep.

Combining different techniques, such as WBTB with MILD, may increase your chances of success. Additionally, getting adequate sleep and maintaining good sleep hygiene are important for increasing your chances of lucid dreaming.

The prefrontal cortex is linked to lucid dreaming

Studies have found physical differences in the brains of people who have lucid dreams. The prefrontal cortex of these individuals is larger. This suggests that people who are self-reflective and often go over thoughts in their heads are more likely to have vivid dreams.

Neuroimaging studies have also shown that the prefrontal cortex is more active during lucid REM sleep than during non-lucid REM sleep. This suggests that the prefrontal cortex plays a role in lucid dreaming.

Furthermore, individuals can learn to voluntarily modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex through a metacognitive awareness strategy. Inter-individual variance in metacognitive ability has also been linked to prefrontal cortex grey matter volume and functional connectivity.

Reality testing can induce lucid dreams

Reality testing, or reality checking, is a mental training technique that can help induce lucid dreams. It involves performing reality checks throughout the day to train your mind to recognise its own consciousness and enhance your metacognition. This can be done by asking yourself, "Am I dreaming?" and performing actions to confirm whether you are awake or dreaming. For example, checking your reflection in a mirror, pushing your hand against a solid object, or trying to breathe with your nose pinched.

To perform reality testing, it is recommended to follow these steps several times a day:

• Ask yourself, "Am I dreaming?"
• Check your environment to confirm whether you are dreaming.
• Notice your own consciousness and how you are engaging with your surroundings.

By doing reality checks while you are awake, you can train your mind to repeat these checks while dreaming, which can induce lucid dreaming. However, it is important to note that reality testing may be difficult and burdensome for some people, and there is limited evidence to support the efficacy of this technique.

Combining reality testing with other techniques, such as Wake Back to Bed (WBTB) and Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD), may increase the chances of inducing lucid dreams. In a previous study, researchers were able to induce lucid dreams in about 50% of participants by combining a WBTB sleep protocol with a mnemonic technique.

While the effectiveness of reality testing may vary, it is a technique that can be easily incorporated into daily life and may increase the likelihood of having lucid dreams when combined with other methods.

Dream journals can help induce lucid dreams

Keeping a dream journal, or dream diary, is a popular method for initiating lucid dreaming. When you write down your dreams, you're forced to remember what happens during each dream. It's said to help you recognize dream signs and enhance awareness of your dreams.

Benefits of Keeping a Dream Journal

Dream journals can help you:

• Recognise and process emotions: Dreams may show what is going on in a person’s life, especially regarding highly emotional experiences. Keeping a dream journal may help a person become aware of anxiety and other emotions that need to be addressed in their life.
• Notice recurring dreams: When a person keeps a dream journal, they may notice that they are having the same dream over and over. Some common recurring dreams involve being attacked or chased, falling, and being immobilised by fear. These types of dreams may indicate that a person is experiencing challenges in their life that need to be addressed.
• Increase personal insight: Keeping a record of dreams may help people understand themselves better. When dream analysis occurs in therapy and research settings, it can help people view themselves differently, make connections between things happening in their lives, and learn new things about themselves.
• Help with nightmares: When a person’s nightmares are so frequent and disturbing as to interfere with their daily life, they may have a nightmare disorder. Treatment for nightmare disorder can involve keeping track of the nightmares in a dream journal.
• Solve problems: To find creative solutions to challenges, a person can use the dream incubation technique by setting an intention before bedtime as to what problem or issue they want to address in their dreams. Reviewing the dream journal entries may provide clues to solving the problem.

Tips for Keeping a Dream Journal

• Set an intention: At bedtime, remind yourself that you want to remember your dreams. If you want to try to solve a problem, focus on it now to facilitate dream incubation.
• Journal first thing in the morning: Before sitting up or getting out of bed, think about your dreams and record them in your dream journal right away. If you do not remember dreaming, take time to assess how you feel and what is going on in your mind. This may trigger a memory of your dreams.
• Record all the details: Write down or record everything you remember, including emotions and their intensity, and whether the dream felt positive or negative.
• Journal during nighttime awakenings: If you wake in the middle of the night remembering a dream and feel like recording it, go ahead. But if you cannot write it down, reviewing it in your mind may help you remember enough to record it in the morning.
• Find your style of journaling: If you want to keep track of your dreams but find it too time-consuming, choose certain aspects of dreams to record. When researchers look at dreams, they consider things such as the main characters, emotions, actions, and objects that appear in the dream.
• Get adequate sleep: Following sleep recommendations can help ensure that you have as much time as possible to dream. Adults need at least seven hours of sleep per day.

Frequently asked questions