My FILD progress thread. I'll update it as I attempt to FILD.

Night of 9/26/06: Last night, I fell asleep around 11:00 PM, with my alarm clock set for 4:30. I woke up when it went off, then set it to go off at 6:30, when I normally woke up. I quickly wrote down my dreams in my dream journal next to my bed, then grabbing the FILD tutorial, which I printed out the night before. I went over the instructions... And I was tired and ready for the final step.

So, I got comfy in bed and made the slight finger movements, trying my best not to actually move my fingers. A numb sensation started at my feet and spread up through my body, but never made it over my chest... I then realized that my heart was beating really, really fast, so fast I could almost see it under the blanket. I tried calming down, then attempted to FILD 2 more times.

The problem was, I couldn't get my hands in a position where they weren't getting strained yet I could still make the slight movements. It was weird.



Night of 9/27/06: Okay, I went to sleep MUCH earlier than normal, at 9:00 PM instead of 10 or 11 like I usually do. I got an extra pillow, and arranged them in the "L" shape like student suggested. At first, my left hand was being strained a bit, but as the night went on it actually felt really comfortable. A bit tricky to set up, though.

My alarm was set for 1 AM(less than 4 hours into my sleep). I woke then, but didn't feel very tired... I did the exercise and reality check but nothing happened. I set it for an hour later, same thing happened. I just wasn't sleeping very much. Then I set it for 4, and again, tried it, but it didn't work.

So uh, morale of the story... Don't go to sleep early. I'll have to try again another night.



Night of 9/28/06: I used both my DS' alarm AND my regular alarm. The DS alarm I would turn off imediately, then go back to bed without opening my eyes, and make the movement. Then my regular alarm would wake me up when I needed to be woken up.

I wasn't tired enough. I went to bed at like, 9:30. My DS alarm went off, and I turned it off, and made the movement, but it didn't work. I went to sleep like I normally did.

But to make matters worse, my regular alarm didn't go off! AGGGHH! I was rushing out the door, and unable to write down any dreams I had.

Whoohoo. Better try again tonight, when I'll be able to stay up as long as I need to.



Night of 9/29/06: Okay, finally, a Friday night. Perfect time for a LD, eh?

Well, I went to bed at 3:00 AM. I was tired, and I finally settled into bed. It was about 3:30, so I figured I'd be asleep by 4, and set my alarm for 10:00... 6 hours into my sleep.

Unfortunately, I woke up at 9:20... With only 5 hours and 20 minutes of sleep. I then half-slept for 2 hours, and here I am.

So... Somehow I didn't get enough sleep, even though I was really, really tired. How strange... Gotta go to bed a bit earlier tonight, perhaps?



Night of 10/1/06: I got into bed and decided to listen to my brother's Ipod. At several points I must have dozed off, and somehow I ended up listening to the Ipod until 3:43 in the morning! As soon as I realized this, I went to bed, but it was too late. No chance for a FILD.

I've also noticed that I seem incapable of sleeping if it's bright outside. Even if the slightest amount of light leaks in through the window, it's difficult to sleep. I'll try again tonight.



Night of 10/2/06: Not tired enough. I need more sleep.

Grah.



Night of 10/3/06: Went to bed at 10. Woke up at 7. My alarm went off twice during the night, once at 3 in the morning and again at 4(as I had set it to). Unfortunately, I couldn't get back to sleep very easy.

I'm guessing that I'll have to wait till I'm tired enough to attempt this... Or, better yet, tonight I'll switch my alarms... My DS to wake me up normally, and my regular alarm to wake me up in the middle of the night. My regular alarm is unbelievably simple to turn off, unlike the DS, which you have to open and turn the power off.

Maybe that'll make a difference...



Night of 10/5/06: Last night I messed up, so I didn't bother posting.

But today something different happened. I was IMing people... While still lying down in bed with my eyes closed. I was watching myself in third person while IMing someone in a pop-up window. O_o

Naturally, I did a reality check. I got up and tried breathing through my nose... But it didn't work. I wasn't dreaming.

I must have either

a) woken up from excitement.
b) been in the process of entering the dream state, but interrupted myself with the reality check.

Hey, I'm getting closer.



Night of 10/6/06: Last night was really, really weird. I had one dream where I was in a concrete, box-like building with no windows. There was a concrete staircase that went up, and I was on it. I found this strange, and did a reality check... But here's the thing.

It didn't work.

I couldn't breathe through my nose, and I woke up seconds later.

... Am I detecting a pattern?



Current question(s): Am I doing something wrong?

Hmm... What do you think of this "pattern"?