Tips on Napping?

When I first joined DV I said that I wasn't really interested in working on lucid dreams because of my absurd amount of hours I'm taking, but I've recently realized that I wouldn't mind working towards lucidity if I could aim for the weekends. I can't do it during the week unless I just happen to have a DILD, but I will be doing reality checks and whatnot.

I think everyone would agree that everyone has at least one "thing" that really helps them with lucid dreaming. Since I discovered lucid dreaming I've realized that I'm about ten times as likely to have a LD during a nap than I am during regular sleep. The problem? I'm one of those people that just can't nap. The times that I've had them are when I was either sick or wasn't able to get a lot of sleep the night before.

Yesterday I realized that every time I try to visualize I find it hard to stay awake, so I thought for sure that I had my entrance. I laid down and visualized, but with no luck. Just kinda laid there for two and a half hours. ^_^;

I'm still very interested in working towards a nap next weekend, though, so if anyone has any tips they can think of then that would be lovely! :) Perhaps some things to keep in mind:

1) Whether it's Iron Maiden or Mozart, music does nothing to put me to sleep.
2) I have no way of comfortably listening to white noise (I don't think it would help me much; the times I have listened to it, it's been more or less like trying to listen to music to go to bed).
3) Everything about the afternoon is horrible for a morning person like me, and that would include napping. All that sun in the windows. . . . xD

Thanks!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CoffinCakes

When I first joined DV I said that I wasn't really interested in working on lucid dreams because of my absurd amount of hours I'm taking, but I've recently realized that I wouldn't mind working towards lucidity if I could aim for the weekends. I can't do it during the week unless I just happen to have a DILD, but I will be doing reality checks and whatnot.

I think everyone would agree that everyone has at least one "thing" that really helps them with lucid dreaming. Since I discovered lucid dreaming I've realized that I'm about ten times as likely to have a LD during a nap than I am during regular sleep. The problem? I'm one of those people that just can't nap. The times that I've had them are when I was either sick or wasn't able to get a lot of sleep the night before.

Yesterday I realized that every time I try to visualize I find it hard to stay awake, so I thought for sure that I had my entrance. I laid down and visualized, but with no luck. Just kinda laid there for two and a half hours. ^_^;

I'm still very interested in working towards a nap next weekend, though, so if anyone has any tips they can think of then that would be lovely! :) Perhaps some things to keep in mind:

1) Whether it's Iron Maiden or Mozart, music does nothing to put me to sleep.
2) I have no way of comfortably listening to white noise (I don't think it would help me much; the times I have listened to it, it's been more or less like trying to listen to music to go to bed).
3) Everything about the afternoon is horrible for a morning person like me, and that would include napping. All that sun in the windows. . . . xD

Thanks!

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Hi, i have found that SSILD is a fantastic technique which would fit well with a nap. If you dont happen to WILD during SSILD then theres a very high chance you will have a DILD.

Hey! Thanks for responding. :) SSILD is interesting, but I'm afraid you might have got mixed up in my post a bit. :) You see, I have no problem LD'ing during a nap . . . my problem is that I can't nap, unless I'm sick or didn't sleep well (and honestly, there have been plenty of times where I only slept three hours that night, been extremely tired, and still couldn't nap). . . .

To put this in perspective, I found out about lucid dreaming when I was in the seventh grade; I am now a college freshman, six years later. In six years I have had twenty-four lucid dreams, and only four of five of them happened while I wasn't sleeping. That means that in the past six years I've taken only around twenty naps. My low number of LDs has nothing to do with a lack of persistence, but is instead just because I can't seem to go to sleep when the sun's out.

Now, if you have any tips on napping, then I'd love you forever XD

I am an infrequent napper. The one thing I can suggest is to "clear your inbox." That is, get as much done as you can in the first half of the day, so that you are tried but satisfied by the afternoon. The nap is a reward for getting things done. So plan for a productive morning: cleaning, laundry, errands, school assignments, whatever. Do something that maybe you've been putting off. Could be anything, re-organize a closet, weed the garden, get your car washed, read that magazine you've been meaning to. Apply whatever might work for you.

As for the sunlight, you can try a sleep mask. And do whatever else you can to create a good sleep environment. Also try drinking some valerian or chamomile tea.

Ah, that's solid advice. Thanks a bunch! I'll be sure to do my best with that next Saturday. :)