Thread: Should I use 5htp or melatonin to lucid dream?

With reality checks, which will help me to lucid dream faster? And which one is less likely to make me feel sleepy? I've heard that these drugs are likely to make me feel drowsy.

When eaten, 5-HTP is used in the body to manufacture serotonin, which in turn - towards night time - supplies the raw material for melatonin. Therefore these two supplements have very similar outcomes.

The difference lies mostly in the fact that 5-HTP can be used simply to directly boost the serotonin level (serotonin is the "happiness molecule"), and if taken during the day it will not lead to melatonin-production. Therefore 5-HTP can be taken as a natural alternative to various anti-depressants.

Because melatonin, as a supplement, is already in the right form for use as a sleep-inducing agent, it will probably work faster than 5-HTP, as this has to undergo two chemical processes first. But in reality, at least in my experience, they seem to work pretty much equally fast.

As for your question about which one is less likely to make you feel sleepy, the answer is none of them: they will indeed make you sleepy - it's what they're supposed to do!

Use none of it.

I personally have only used melatonin, but it didn't do much for me. Well, truth be told, I haven't been very consistent with it, I only take it on some occasions (once or twice a month, if I even have it any time at all), because I heard melatonin supplements can mess with the menstrual cycle. I don't know this first hand, but I'm not going to risk it lol

I'm not into supplements, I prefer my lucid dreams to come naturally even if it takes longer than having to rely on supplements. At most, I take vitamin B complex tablets occasionally, for instance when I feel my dream recall has decreased, but other than that, nothing.

Originally Posted by martakartus

I personally have only used melatonin, but it didn't do much for me. Well, truth be told, I haven't been very consistent with it, I only take it on some occasions (once or twice a month, if I even have it any time at all), because I heard melatonin supplements can mess with the menstrual cycle. I don't know this first hand, but I'm not going to risk it lol

I'm not into supplements, I prefer my lucid dreams to come naturally even if it takes longer than having to rely on supplements. At most, I take vitamin B complex tablets occasionally, for instance when I feel my dream recall has decreased, but other than that, nothing.

This has always been my stance as well, although I have reached a dry spell and am tempted to experiment and see what works.

If you DO choose to take supplements, don't slack on any of your natural LD work (if you do RC's, etc.). Let it be just that...a supplementation as opposed to being dependent on it.

Originally Posted by Sospiro

This has always been my stance as well, although I have reached a dry spell and am tempted to experiment and see what works.

If you DO choose to take supplements, don't slack on any of your natural LD work (if you do RC's, etc.). Let it be just that...a supplementation as opposed to being dependent on it.

Of course, keeping up with RCing is crucial, supplements won't get you lucid by themselves. I only occasionally take vitamins to give my dream recall a little boost, but my lucid-related work is always there.

Originally Posted by martakartus

Of course, keeping up with RCing is crucial, supplements won't get you lucid by themselves. I only occasionally take vitamins to give my dream recall a little boost, but my lucid-related work is always there.

RC's can be helpful for people, but I don't do those. I've been doing ADA for a while now and find RC's quite annoying.

Your results may vary, but 5-HTP and melatonin never seemed to do much for me. I've experimented with a lot of supplements over the years, and the two that I've found the most consistency helpful are L-Theanine and Alpha-GPC, in combination. I doubt they will get you lucid if you're not already practicing good technique, but they might slightly boost your chances of success.