Thread: Discomfort... (WILD)

i have some trouble with getting comfortable occasionally. i don't think there is any real cure, if you need to move around a bunch in order to fall asleep, it's probably not the best time to attempt a WILD. i think when learning how to do it, it's best to make your attempts when you have the best chance of success (e.g. sometime when you're more tired, maybe after a few hours of sleep or during an afternoon nap). one thing i do before going to bed is stretch all of my body, and then tense all of my muscles as hard as possible and relax them. that usually gives me a real nice basis of relaxation before preparing for sleep. also maybe try out the 61-point relaxation technique. ultimately, it's mind over matter--but that's not to say it's easy.

Instead of trying it before you sleep, try it when you wake up. Some times I wake up early and am able to WILD very easily. I myself can not WILD before I sleep beause just like you, I just roll around.

i tried this for the first time last night and it started to happen pretty quickly, but then i felt stiff and numb, which wasnt exactly comfortable, but then that passed but then i started hearing things and it freaked me out so i opened my eyes to make sure it wasnt real. I'm a chicken.

but yeah, i dont knwo if it was just something im not used to, but i kept wanting to move or roll over.

Hmmmm. Now, after another attempt last night (I know that I'd probably have better luck at other times, but I'm rather busy these days...) I found that I don't notice this discomfort if I am thinking about something, thinking as in very much preoccupied. The only problems are that I can't seem to do that intentionally, and that as soon as I do I usually just fall asleep. I think that this is probably the main problem with WILD....

I still have the same problem as before, but I just want to know: Are there any mental things you could do to occupy your mind, yet not just fall asleep? Is that the trick to all of it?

Here's what I do.
After I wake up from a dream (usually around 6 am) I record the dream in my journal. I then either lay on my back or my right side. I then concentrate on my breathing while counting from 1 to 100. e.g. breathe in count one, breathe out count two etc.
When I get to the stage where I get confused as to which number I counted last I start to visualize a white staircase leading towards a bright light. I visualize myself walking up the stairs with each step I count 'one, I'm dreaming, two I'm dreaming etc...' (I do this in time with my breathing)
I have also found that if I concentrate on my hands while doing this I begin to notice that they become tingly and numb. If my mind wonders at this stage I start counting from one again.
This usually gets me into sleep paralysis. I then either Imagine rolling out of bed or reaching for a door handle. If I roll out of bed I find myself in my room. When I reach for the door handle I open it to a dream world (It just depends where you want to end up)
I have tried this while attempting WILD in an afternoon nap, although I do have some success It works best for me after I have woken up. I find that I am already relaxed after I have woken up and don't really notice myself feeling uncomfortable, like I would in an afternoon nap for example.
Hope this helps.

Also the sounds xblackmadonnax describes are perfectly normal and nothing to fear. I often have an intense buzzing in my ears and I'll agree that it isn't pleasent but you do get used to it and it doesn't affect you after it's happened a few times. I once heard an aggressive voice shouting 'The Man!' over and over again In my ear

The discomfort disappears upon relaxation.
Forget about WILD when you go to bed and lay there, toss or turn and let your mind wander until you become very relaxed and realize that you'll soon start drifting off to sleep. Many techniques state that relaxing is done through lying there and focusing on relaxation. That's far from the truth for those that can not easily relax themselves and such. Focusing on relaxation only makes things worse at times in such cases. Thus, I would suggest to do the above in order to get to the phase of pre-sleep relaxation needed to shift into hypnagogia.

Hmmm, interesting.

Okay, thanks so far, guys. Looks like some of this might work for me, so I'll give all of it a shot as soon as I can.