While some people struggle to try to remember vague details of their dream from the night before, others are attempting to lucid dream. This form of dreaming is admittedly rare, but it involves being aware that you’re dreaming and even being able to change the direction of a dream.
You may end up lucid dreaming here and there without even trying, or you may be one of the people who are actively trying to figure out how to lucid dream. As you can imagine, this is easier said than done.
Lucid dreams are a tricky area of sleep, but people who learn to navigate this often find it to be helpful in real life. “I have a fascinating story about a colleague who was bullied as a kid, learned to fight off his bullies in his dreams, and then had more confidence when he encountered them in real life,” says Beth Malow, M.D., a neurologist and chief of the Division of Sleep Disorders at Vanderbilt Health.
Meet the experts: Beth Malow, M.D., a neurologist and chief of the Division of Sleep Disorders at Vanderbilt Health; Christopher Winter, M.D., a neurologist and sleep medicine physician with Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and host of the Sleep Unplugged podcast; Aarti Grover, M.D., medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Tufts Medical Center; Timothy Sullivan, M.D., interim chair of psychiatry at Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital; Shalini Paruthi, M.D., spokesperson for the AASM and a sleep medicine physician at John Cochran VA Hospital; Abhay Sharma, M.D., sleep physician leading the University of South Florida’s ENT Sleep and Snoring Center.
In reality, lucid dreaming can be really hard to pull off. “I haven’t been successful at lucid dreaming myself—I’ve tried,” Dr. Malow says. But while lucid dreaming has plenty of positives, there are also a few negatives to keep in mind before attempting this yourself. Here’s what doctors want you to know about lucid dreams, how to lucid dream, and when to consult with a healthcare provider about your dreams.
What are lucid dreams?
Essentially, a lucid dream is a dream in which you are aware you are dreaming, says Aarti Grover, M.D., medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Tufts Medical Center.
Approximately 50% of people have had at least one lucid dream, according to Shalini Paruthi, M.D., spokesperson for the AASM and a sleep medicine physician at John Cochran VA Hospital. But, very few people can lucid dream more than once a month.
“Preliminary studies have revealed that lucid dreams incorporate unusual patterns of brain activity with elements of both sleep and wakefulness,” Dr. Grover says. Because of this, lucid dreaming may be a “hybrid form of consciousness,” she adds.
“Lucid dreaming is a peculiar state where you’re dreaming, but your prefrontal cortex—the analyzing part of the brain—is turned on,” says Timothy Sullivan, M.D., interim chair of psychiatry at Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital. “It can evaluate what’s happening, and that’s what makes you aware that you’re dreaming.”
How to lucid dream
Achieving lucid dreams may not be possible for everyone, says Dr. Paruthi: “Lucid dreaming very rarely occurs on demand.” It may take time and practice as everyone’s experience with lucid dreaming can vary. It’s essential to find the method or combination of methods that work best for you and keeping a positive attitude towards the process is key, she explains.
But this process is easier for some people than others. “Most people with some diligence can do it,” says Christopher Winter, M.D., a neurologist and sleep medicine physician with Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and host of the Sleep Unplugged podcast. “My biggest tip is that when it happens the first time and that awareness arrives, it will often create a level of excitement that kicks you out of the dream. I had to learn to really relax once I determined I was lucid in a dream—it’s a fragile state.”
Keep in mind that recurrent lucid dreaming is not common and rarely can be performed on-demand, says Dr. Paruthi. “Most people should have the expectation that they will not be able to engage in lucid dreams intentionally,” she notes.
There is very little research in the area of actively starting a lucid dream. However, Dr. Paruthi says that the following are some processes that might work for you.
1. Reality checks
Throughout your waking hours, periodically perform reality checks. This involves questioning whether you are dreaming or awake and performing a simple test to confirm. Common reality checks include trying to push a finger through the palm of your hand, looking at a clock or text, and then looking away and back again to see if it changes, or trying to breathe while holding your nose closed. The idea is that if you make this a habit during waking life, you may eventually do it during a dream and realize you’re dreaming when the reality check fails.
2. Keep a dream journal
Keep a notebook and pen beside your bed. As soon as you wake up, jot down everything you remember about your dream. This practice helps you become more aware of your dreams and increases your dream recall. With better dream recall, you’re more likely to recognize recurring dream signs or patterns, which can help trigger lucidity.
3. Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
MILD involves setting intentions before sleep. As you lie in bed, repeat a phrase such as “I will realize I’m dreaming” or “Next time I’m dreaming, I will remember that I’m dreaming.” Visualize yourself becoming lucid in a dream while focusing on this intention. This method combines affirmations with visualization to encourage lucidity.
4. Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB)
Set an alarm to wake yourself up after 5-6 hours of sleep. Stay awake for about 20-30 minutes engaging in a quiet, relaxing activity such as reading about lucid dreaming or meditating. During this time, reflect on your intention to have a lucid dream. Then, when you return to sleep, your mind is more alert, increasing the likelihood of becoming aware in your dreams.
5. Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD)
This method involves maintaining consciousness while transitioning from wakefulness to sleep. Lie down comfortably in bed and focus on keeping your mind awake while your body falls asleep. You may experience sensations like vibrations, auditory hallucinations or visual imagery. Stay relaxed and observe these sensations without reacting to them. Eventually, you may find yourself entering directly into a lucid dream state.
6. Take up a serious meditation habit.
Many people who lucid dream are intense meditation practitioners, Dr. Sullivan says. “They’re not just following an app,” he adds. But it’s unclear why this may be the case. “Is it the lucid dreaming that’s helping them meditate or is all this other stuff that happens when they meditate that’s helping?” Dr. Sullivan says.
How to wake up from a lucid dream
Waking up from a lucid dream can vary in difficulty depending on the dreamer’s level of control and awareness within the dream, says Dr. Paruthi. However, there are a few methods you can try to help wake yourself up.
- Set intentions within the dream to wake up
- Alter the dream environment to create discomfort
- Focus on physical sensations or movements, like blinking or breathing
- Try rapid eye movement or blinking to mimic waking REM sleep
- Concentrate on waking up while maintaining awareness of being in a dream
- Force yourself to talk or scream out loud
- Make yourself fall asleep in your dream
- Try to read
If you find it difficult to wake from a lucid dream, don’t panic. Dreaming will always end and then you will automatically wake up again, Dr. Winter says.
Potential benefits of lucid dreaming
Lucid dreaming may offer several potential benefits. One possible benefit may be improved problem-solving, says Dr. Paruthi. “Lucid dreaming encourages cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills as individuals navigate and manipulate the dream world, and some people use them to rehearse real-life scenarios or tackle challenging problems.”
Another benefit is enhanced creativity, says Dr. Paruthi. “Lucid dreaming allows for exploration of the dream environment, providing a platform for new ideas or insights,” she notes.
Lucid dreaming may also provide a safe space to confront and process unresolved emotions, traumas or fears, says Dr. Paruthi. Though scientific evidence is limited, there is some anecdotal evidence to support that lucid dreaming can help with nightmare alleviation and post-traumatic stress disorder, says Abhay Sharma, M.D., sleep physician leading the University of South Florida’s ENT Sleep and Snoring Center. “Dream control allows the individual to take an aspect of his or her life that is traditionally negative and make it positive, which can have substantial positive effects on mental health.”
Potential risks of lucid dreaming
Though lucid dreaming, through dream control, can help with certain issues as noted, they can also result in harrowing dreams that could worsen the same issues, says Dr. Sharma. “Some people say that because lucid dreams involve increased activity of the prefrontal cortex during REM, or dream sleep, sleep quality suffers since the sleep is not as restful.” In addition, some of the methods used to induce lucid dreams involve waking up from sleep or using devices to interrupt sleep, which can worsen sleep quality, Dr. Sharma adds.
As well as sleep disruption, confusion between dream and reality, sleep paralysis, increased nightmare or night terror frequency, emotional overload, excessive daydreaming and a negative impact on mental health are all possible risks, notes Dr. Paruthi.
“Scientists who study this are not usually encouraging people to try to do this on their own,” Dr. Sullivan says, citing sleep paralysis—which can be very scary to experience—as one reason.
How to know if you’re having a lucid dream
Lucid dreaming usually comes with an awareness that you’re actually dreaming. But sometimes you can be moving through a dream and calling the shots without realizing that you’re lucid dreaming. That’s why Dr. Winter recommends doing “reality checks” during the day to raise your awareness.
“My favorite is to take my wedding ring off, flip it around, and put it back on my hand while evaluating whether or not the ring and my hand look, feel, and behave as they should,” he says. “Brains have a tough time capturing realism in dreams,” Dr. Winter explains. “If you make it a habit of doing this often, you start to bring this level of evaluation into your dreams. So, when you are flying, you are more likely to become aware that what is being experienced is not real.”
When to see a doctor about lucid dreams
Per Dr. Paruthi, consider seeing a doctor about lucid dreams if you experience the following:
- Persistent sleep disturbances, such as insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty to differentiate between dreams and reality
- Frequent distressing nightmares or sleep paralysis
- Significant disruption with your daily functioning or mental health
Additionally, if you have underlying mental health conditions that may be affected by lucid dreaming, such as psychosis or dissociative disorders, it’s important to discuss your experiences with your doctor, says Dr. Paruthi.
Lucid dreams can also be seen more commonly in some sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, says Dr. Sharma. “If frequent lucid dreams are accompanied by excessive sleepiness during the day (napping frequently or falling asleep unintentionally), there may be an underlying sleep disorder.”
Of course, if you’re simply lucid dreaming and you’d rather not, it’s a good idea to talk to a sleep specialist or psychologist, Dr. Sullivan says. They can help you work through your experiences, try to figure out what’s behind them, and make personalized recommendations from there.
*Additional reporting by Korin Miller.
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