Lucid dreaming is a state of dreaming where the dreamer is aware that the dream is taking place but will not leave the dreaming state. Speculation about lucid dreams even go as far as to say that dreamers are able to control their dreams while lucid dreaming. About 55% of adults have had at least one lucid dream, and almost a quarter of people have at least 1 lucid dream a month.
There are some benefits of lucid dreaming, according to some research. The treatment of nightmares is one of those proposed benefits. However, other studies show that lucid dreaming actually has a negative impact on mental health before of how much they can disrupt sleep by blending the lines between dreams and reality.
How Lucid Dreams Work
Lucid dreaming is extensively researched, but little has been concluded about them. The difference between lucid dreams and non-lucid dreams, is that in non-lucid dreams, dreamers are aware of objects, the subject, and the actions of the dream, but they are not aware that it is a dream, or that they are asleep.
Lucid dreamers know that they are dreaming, and can have control around their surroundings. This has been attributed to elevated cortical activity. Prefrontal cortex activity levels while sleepers are engaged in lucid dreaming are comparable to activity levels during wakefulness. Therefore, lucid dreaming can be referred to as "hybrid sleep-wake state."
Normal dreams can take place at any time during the sleep cycles. But lucid dreaming takes place during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep constitutes the fourth and final state of sleeping. Lucid dreams, as established by researchers, originate from non-lucid dreams during the REM sleep stage. Therefore, the lucidity of the dream is an aspect of dreams that can be triggered using different strategies.
How Lucid Dreams are Studied
Lucid dreams that are spontaneous are rare and can be hard to study. In order to study these phenomena, researchers typically induce lucid dreams using different methods. Some common techniques include reality testing, mnemonic induction of lucid dreams, wake back to bed, and external stimulation.
Reality testing is a technique where patients perform tests throughout the day that distinguish between sleep and waking. The basis of reality testing is that repeated tests will eventually intertwine into dreams, so patients can achieve lucidity and learn to distinguish between the dream state and waking.
Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD) is the technique where dreams train themselves to recognize the difference between dreams and reality during sleep. Subjects wake up after sleeping and repeat the phrase "Next time I'm asleep, I'll remember I'm dreaming." Researchers can induce lucid dreams using this method by waking patients after 5 hours.
Wake back to bed is when some induce lucid dreaming by waking up in the middle of the night, and then going back to sleep after a certain amount of time has passed. This can be used together with the MILD technique, with the most effective length of time of wakefulness being 30-120 minutes.
External stimulation is a technique that involves external stimulation - such as flashing lights and sounds - that activate while the patient is in REM sleep. This is due to the fact that the sleeper will incorporate this stimuli into their dreams, which can trigger lucidity during their sleep.
When participants fall asleep, researchers can measure activity levels in their prefrontal cortex and other areas of the brain with an electroencephalogram. And electrooculogram can also be used to track eye movements and determine when the subject enters REM sleep.
Is Lucid Dreaming Good or Bad?
Self-induced lucid dreaming has blossomed in popularity over the recent ears. The most common reasons have to do with the induced sense of fulfillment, overcoming fears, and healing. There has also been a link between inducing lucid dreams, and overcoming the fear and distress associated with nightmares.
There is a lot of debate, however, over if lucid dreaming is good for you or not. There are some researchers who suggest that creating lucid dreams intentionally blends the line between dreaming and reality. For the long-term, this can be extremely damaging to people's mental health as they will not learn to properly deal with their reality. Lucid dreaming has been shown as an ineffective coping mechanism, especially in those with PTSD.
Lucid dreams are also disruptive to sleep because they have a higher level of brain activity. Even certain sleep disorders are associated with increased incidences of lucid dreaming, such as narcolepsy.
How to Lucid Dream
Triggering lucid dreams can be easy with the right methods. The best way to do that begins with optimizing the bedroom for sleeping. Practicing good sleep hygiene is the first step in creating a good sleep-wake cycle, creating enough time for REM sleep. The bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet. Accessories that help block out all light and sound can also help achieve this.
The second important thing to do is to assess your reality. Reality testing is done by checking your environment to see if you are asleep or awake. In a dream, the environment will look different, because of the inconsistencies and distortions, compared to what they actually look like. By performing these reality checks several times a day, you may be able to induce lucid dreaming in a similar manner.
Try the MILD and wake back to bed methods. Use an alarm to wake up five hours after falling asleep, and tell yourself to remember what you've dreamt once you fall asleep again. The MILD method is highly effective, and in order to combine it with the wake back to bed, stay awake for 30-120 minutes before returning to bed.
You can also keep a record of your dreams, and write down everything you remember. You can also use a voice-recording device to long your dream memories. Using a detailed record will allow you to more easily remember and recognize your dreams once you've fallen asleep. This can, in turn, help trigger lucid dreaming.
The power of suggestion also works. By convincing yourself you are going to have a lucid dream, most likely you will be able to achieve one.
Lucid dreaming may or may not offer any benefits. If it does, then try the above methods to reach them. However, if they are more disruptive than helpful, but you need something to help you get good sleep, then please click the orange button to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health professionals.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/dreams/lucid-dreams