Elderly people and lucid dreams?

**CaptainCrounche** · 06-29-2012 01:06 PM

After reading about ADA and thinking a lot about it, something struck me, maybe it's silly...
ADA is about being constantly aware that we are in the real world, by noticing details around us and sensations. Most elderly people have conditions like back pain, that hurt them all day long, that should qualify as ADA, right? When your back hurts you can't think about anything else...
I asked my grandmother if she felt her back pain inside her dreams, she had a hard time answering but she finally said "I guess not...", but she hasn't had any lucid dreams.

Is it just that these people aren't aware that they can have lucid dreams, and are not trying?

**littlezoe** · 06-29-2012 01:16 PM

I think most elderly people just don't remember their dreams most of the time. As far as i know the dream related abilites get weaker as you get older...

It's basically true for most adults as well... most people are too busy to care about their dreams, so they don't even remember them.

I told my mom about lucid dreaming when i started (2 years ago), but she is too busy all the time because of work, then the things that need to be done at home... so she never remembers her dreams.

**CaptainCrounche** · 06-29-2012 01:35 PM

This makes a lot of sense... So I guess we better enjoy dreaming while we still can

**TruMotion** · 06-29-2012 02:01 PM

Older people have less REM sleep time, and therefore less dreaming time. But I guess if they actually tried to LD, back pain would be a very good reality check.

**fOrceez** · 06-29-2012 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by CaptainCrounche

Most elderly people have conditions like back pain, that hurt them all day long, that should qualify as ADA, right? When your back hurts you can't think about anything else...
I asked my grandmother if she felt her back pain inside her dreams, she had a hard time answering but she finally said "I guess not...", but she hasn't had any lucid dreams.

Reading this made me sad

**Ladusence** · 06-29-2012 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by TruMotion

Older people have less REM sleep time, and therefore less dreaming time.

Source?

I refuse to believe this!
I think that the elderly don't remember their dreams that much because they never paid any attention to it like most people, so after a long life of not thinking about it they are kind of stuck in that mindset.
And I think many of us lucid dreamers will still be able to just as easily have a lucid as we do now, as long as we don't have any pains that keep us awake that is.

I also don't think pain would be a good reality check, especially if its with you all day long, that would be the same as creating a device that would slap you in the face every time you stand up, these events would just as easily be transferred into your dreams and then you'll still don't realize the difference between the dream and reality.

**TruMotion** · 06-29-2012 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Ladusence

Source?

sleep

**Ladusence** · 06-29-2012 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by TruMotion

Thanks!, given that most of us here are older than 10 that proves that REM doesn't actually decrease that much as we grow older, overall sleep does decrease however.

**CaptainCrounche** · 06-29-2012 02:32 PM

REM sleep doesn't seem to decrease that much on this graph

**TruMotion** · 06-29-2012 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by CaptainCrounche

REM sleep doesn't seem to decrease that much on this graph

Well, I guess not in that graph. I've found graphs where it is much more noticeable though.

I guess you can't really know for sure, but in everything I've read about it the general idea is that REM sleep does decrease over the years.
There was actually a thread about this in the forum.

**littlezoe** · 06-29-2012 02:55 PM

^ That's how i know it too.

**CaptainCrounche** · 06-29-2012 02:57 PM

It's kinda depressing to see that we're considered old at 24 years old

**littlezoe** · 06-29-2012 03:01 PM

I think that graph is a little over the top though... i'm sure it advances more slowly between 24-70 years.

**Ladusence** · 06-29-2012 03:04 PM

Mark my words, I'm going to prove that graph wrong!

After googling some researches it seems that rem sleep does decrease as you grow older, but most researched conclude a decrease of 10~25% and that last graph shows a decrease of more than 50%.
But I guess it will vary a lot for each person, because somebody who won the lottery and who will never have to work again will probably get more REM sleep than a Chinese worker at Foxconn. Same goes for people in countries that have a siesta.

**TruMotion** · 06-29-2012 03:09 PM

Well, I do believe that REM sleep decreases with the increase of age, I mean, the body isn't perfect. But if you can actually prove it wrong, you'll be making a favor to me and all the forum comunnity

**Carrot** · 06-29-2012 03:22 PM

I don't think busy is an excuse for not paying attention to your dreams. In fact I believe we have friends in real life who don't give a damn to dreams. They are just not exposed to dreams like us.

But being a Chinese from the olden day, my grandma is superstitious so she will recall her dream if it contains things like deceased people.

**CaptainCrounche** · 06-29-2012 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Carrot

I don't think busy is an excuse for not paying attention to your dreams.

I'm with you on that one

**littlezoe** · 06-29-2012 04:48 PM

If someone has to work 8+ hours a day, then has all kinds of reponsibilities even at home, then you both will understand.

I can't see myself giving up on lucid dreaming ever, but who knows... maybe there will be a part of my life when i'll be too busy to care much about it.

**CaptainCrounche** · 06-29-2012 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by littlezoe

If someone has to work 8+ hours a day, then has all kinds of reponsibilities even at home, then you both will understand.

I can't see myself giving up on lucid dreaming ever, but who knows... maybe there will be a part of my life when i'll be too busy to care much about it.

From what I've seen in your other posts, lucid dreaming has become pretty much second nature to you, does it still require much time every day to retain that ability? Enough for you to think responsibilities and a job could someday overshadow your skill?
Being a beginner, it does take me a lot of time and energy, that I understand everyone can't spare...

**littlezoe** · 06-29-2012 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by CaptainCrounche

From what I've seen in your other posts, lucid dreaming has become pretty much second nature to you, does it still require much time every day to retain that ability? Enough for you to think responsibilities and a job could someday overshadow your skill?
Being a beginner, it does take me a lot of time and energy, that I understand everyone can't spare...

It does require constant practise. There are people that just have lucids daily without effort, but that's rare and i'm not one of them

If i would stop practicing at all, not even thinking much about lucid dreaming then that would lower my chances a lot for having lucids. So when work and your responsibilities would be on your mind all day, except the short time you can rest... well then there wouldn't be much time for LD practice.

**CaptainCrounche** · 06-29-2012 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by littlezoe

So when work and your responsibilities would be on your mind all day, except the short time you can rest... well then there wouldn't be much time for LD practice.

Well I work pretty much 8 hours a day, and thinking about LDing, awareness and RCs are a way of gaining some perspective over what I'm doing during my day, and so far it hasn't interfered with my work or anything else. On the contrary, it seems to help me question everything I do and view a different side of things.
Then again, I've been at it for only a week or so... and I'm not entirely sure I'm doing it right either...

**littlezoe** · 06-29-2012 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by CaptainCrounche

Well I work pretty much 8 hours a day, and thinking about LDing, awareness and RCs are a way of gaining some perspective over what I'm doing during my day, and so far it hasn't interfered with my work or anything else. On the contrary, it seems to help me question everything I do and view a different side of things.
Then again, I've been at it for only a week or so... and I'm not entirely sure I'm doing it right either...

Well, it probably depends on the person too. If someone is truly interested in dreams, then it might be easier for that person to keep on practising

Even along with responsibilities.

**Mindraker** · 06-30-2012 12:21 AM

Our lifestyles do change as we get older. During puberty, we need more sleep because of the high physical demands on our body.

However, it's one thing to be working as a part time job burger flipper fresh out of high school; it's another thing to be working as an overtime middle age stock broker. Sure, one will get enough sleep; the other will most likely have a sleep deficit.

**Carrot** · 06-30-2012 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by littlezoe

If someone has to work 8+ hours a day, then has all kinds of reponsibilities even at home, then you both will understand.

I can't see myself giving up on lucid dreaming ever, but who knows... maybe there will be a part of my life when i'll be too busy to care much about it.

When you're working, you'll have weekends, off days, leaves and breaks. You probably can't lucid dream as often as you used to but that does not imply you will not lucid dream at all because you are busy. It's the same reasoning as having time to spend with your family no matter how busy you are. Busy is not an excuse. I loathe anyone who says they are too busy to even look at their family.

**rha207** · 01-27-2017 01:29 AM

I'm 66 and can't seem to have lucid dreams more than once or twice a year. I remember my dreams, and I had an extremely vivid lucid dream a month ago. But nothing since, and I've been trying for over a year now.. As a child I had nightmares all the time, and at some point started lucid dreaming. Shortly after the nightmares stopped so did the lucid dreams.