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I want to try WILD which requires me to know my regular sleep cycle. I read on a tutorial that you need to wake up just before your REM and I understand all that. Apparently you wake up naturally after each REM period but I don't, or don't have any memory of doing so. So how am I supposed to find out where my REMs are if I can't take note of them because I don't wake up? I hope this makes sense, if it doesn't please tell me so. If it does please help.
First, it really helps to set an alarm in order to get some discipline to write in your dream journal. As you practice dream recall ( mini WBTBs ), your dreams will get more vivid, and you will notice better your micro-awakenings. Then, you can rely on yourself. If you use those micro-awakenings to dream journal or any other mental activity, you will activate the loop of vividness, dream recall and wakefulness - but be careful to not disturb your sleep
Not sure if there's a way of knowing the exact time, except using one of those devices that reads brain waves.
Now, after many months writting a dream journal, I wake up many times during the night... usually every 1.5 - 2 hours, which I assume is after a dream cycle. I drink a bit of water and go back to sleep.
I guess that, once you know more or less when you wake up, and assuming you always go to bed at a similar time, then you can know, more or less, when your REM happens. For instance, if you usually wake up at around 4am and then around 6am, you know that a good alarm clock could be 3.30am, and 5.30am. Keeping in mind that it takes some time to WILD, maybe it should be set earlier.
But anyway I'm not a WILDer, so any experts correct me and/or give your opinions.
I have a related question about waking up from REM cycles:
if you wake up after a REM cycle, how can you make use of that and get back into a dream?
Wouldn't you dive back into the next NREM phase then, if the REM period you just had has already ended?
Or can you have natural awakenings in the middle of a REM period as well?
When you WILD you can ( not necessarily ) go through NREM 1,2 and 3 and still arrive, more or less luciddly, to REM. I think the WBTB also serves the purpose of reducing all this NREM - as a strategy to postpone less important sleep stages. So i think there's no problem to wake up naturally to WILD - but WBTB would be a good help ( unless you want to do WBTB in the supine position ! ). It is a good question if waking up in REM is better than after REM to WILD. It is better for DEILD of course, but can it shorten WILD induction time ? IDKQuote:
Originally Posted by Laurelindo
Yes, you can have natural awakenings in the middle of REM with nightmares, or just intense emotions( like becoming lucid ) or sometimes for no reason ( ? ). But of course, you have little control here other than through lucidity ( or technology )