Thread: Sleep mask wbtb = lucid dreams every night for me

Originally Posted by jombo22

I've been LDing for (gosh, has it been that long already??) 4 years. I was not a natural, and it took me about 6 months of trying after I read ETWOLD to have my first. My motivation comes and goes, and the frequency of my LDs tends to correspond with motivation.

However I've found something that really works for me.

My room faces East (I guess) and I have no curtains so as soon as the sun comes up my room is very bright. I'm a person who needs 100% pitch darkness to have good sleep, and instead of getting heavy curtains I opted to buy a sleep mask instead.

Instead of just putting it on and wearing it all night, though, I wait. When the sun wakes me up after I've had about 6 hours of sleep, I roll over, think about LDing a bit, put on the sleep mask and then WILD.

Using the sun seems to be a much more natural way of waking up and doing a WBTB type of induction than using an alarm clock or something like that. Also, it works perfectly as I've usually gotten about 6-7 hours of sleep by the time the sun wakes me. Later REM cycles are best, as we all know.



This is probably not a big revelation to anyone - I'm just doing a pretty standard type of WBTB routine. But I can't believe it's taken me this long to figure it out - I always used to just grumble, promise myself I'd buy curtains, try putting a shirt over my eyes, etc. I fixed both my bright room problem, and gave myself easy LDs!

Also, I think the brain is more active when something is different about your sleep. If I was to, say, sleep fully clothed instead of naked like I usually do, my dreams would tend to be more vivid or weird. When you sleep for 6 hours and then put on a sleep mask, I think the brain picks up on the fact that something is different. This may also aid gaining lucidity if you fail at WILDing.

I've been LDing for a while, but I never thought I'd be able to achieve nightly LDs. I'm still not quite there, but I'm probably getting them 4 or 5 nights a week now, and that's not bad!


For what it's worth, I'm using this sleep mask. It's a "Lights Out Sleep Mask" from Magellan. I had never been able to wear a mask before, because I hated having something on my eyes. This mask is molded so that it stays off your eyes - you can open them with the mask on which is very nice for me. This is probably very important because the eyes move a lot during REM.

Again I'm sure this isn't a big revelation to anyone, but I wanted to share since it has been so effective for me. If I had known I'd be having this many LDs so easily, I'd have bought a sleep mask years ago!

A very interesting read, actually. I will definitely try sleeping with a mask sometime. Well done on this research, bro.

Hi jombo22, yeah I'm a big fan of sleep masks myself. I made a thread about them a few months ago when I noticed they also help considerably with dream recall because they keep you in the dark and it seems to be natural light that stimulates the brain into wakefulness.

I agree with your theory on sunlight completely. I've noticed that whenever I do a WBTB later in the morning during which I've been exposed to strong sunlight I almost always have a LD. It's like my brain is fooled into thinking it's supposed to be awake!

Cool thread. I like this

Cool! I'm definitely going to wear a sleep mask tonight

Cool my room has windows on the east side and i always wake up because of light. Ill try using a shirt or something until i get a mask though. Also ill try using different clothes because as you stated, changes make you more aware (i was at a hotel last night and had a vivid dream, i dontthink its a coincidence)

I've considered trying a sleep mask before. My room is usually a lot lighter after the sun rises, so I might give this a try. I also have to agree with you about changes affecting dreams, particularly for me change in location - when I went on vacaton the week before last I had some vivid and long dreams, the first night back in my own bed I had my first LD.

i'm the same, need it to be very dark to sleep and my room gets very bright in the morning. the problem is I have to get up for work before the sun comes up..

For those of you who are interested in the sleep mask that jombo22 uses, it can be bought for a few dollars on eBay.

Does anyone know a shop where you can buy sleep masks?

Originally Posted by XeL

Does anyone know a shop where you can buy sleep masks?

Ebay. I just ordered one

Originally Posted by Drogo

For those of you who are interested in the sleep mask that jombo22 uses, it can be bought for a few dollars on eBay.

haha I just confirmed it!

Originally Posted by Jorge

Ebay. I just ordered one

I dont have a credit card to order one with. What I meant was a local store.

You do exactly what I do!

My eyes actually tend to open while I sleep so the minute the sun comes in, I wake up. I've been using a mask for a couple years now, I started using one a year before I got into LDing. I noticed when I started using it, my SP spells came on more frequently, but I wasn't into LDing yet so I couldn't use it to my advantage . However, now it's the only way I can LD.

As I've said several times before I HIGHLY recommend everyone buying one. I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond, it is just a simple silk black mask for under $10. I think most BB&B's have closed but I'm sure there are many options on the internet. I suggest a thin dark one. I tried a more "cushiony" one that had a pocket for aroma bags but it was just too bulky. Also, avoid velcro straps if you can...

I just want to clarify.... I don't think it's necessarily the sleep mask that is giving me all these LDs. I think the mask probably helps somewhat (as I said above, because it's a change and your brain might pick up on that and be more active), but I think the main thing that has changed is that I'm now doing WBTB every single day.

Whereas I have never really done a whole lot of the active induction techniques like WILD and etc (I usually just do a RC in the dream or "wake up" into lucidity), I'm now doing them every single morning.

I love my sleep mask and I think it's the greatest thing ever But I feel like people have gotten the impression that just wearing one to bed will give you LDs. I think the main reason I've had such success with it doesn't really have much to do with the mask at all, so much as with the fact that I'm just having 1000x more opportunities to WILD/wbtb after 6 hours of sleep. I've just found a good natural rhythm that puts me into that LD "sweet spot" every day.

Just don't want everyone running out to get a mask and thinking that it will grant instant and easy LDs. Of course, if you think it will help then by all means go ahead. (and if you think it will help, it will... the golden rule of LDing - if you really believe it, it's true).

Originally Posted by dreamingofdreaming

As I've said several times before I HIGHLY recommend everyone buying one. I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond, it is just a simple silk black mask for under $10. I think most BB&B's have closed but I'm sure there are many options on the internet. I suggest a thin dark one. I tried a more "cushiony" one that had a pocket for aroma bags but it was just too bulky. Also, avoid velcro straps if you can...

I recommend the mask I found because it has the eye "bubbles" that allow you to open your eyes. I was always uncomfortable with the silk masks that lay right over your eyes. The one I have now allows me to open my eyes and experience total darkness which is great. Also since the eyes move a lot in REM, a regular sleep mask might be too restricting.

On the other hand, maybe that would make your mind be even more active? I don't know, I've never been able to get to sleep with a "normal" sleep mask. Might be worth giving either kind a try if you don't mind having something lying directly on your eyes. They're cheap enough you can just try a bunch.

Thanks for suggesting that eye mask, I'm going to go get myself one. My room gets really bright whenever the sun comes up in the morning, and something like this would probably help a great deal.

some people turn these into lucid dream goggles

Ordering mine now.. for 3 bucks

Originally Posted by Bucketheadjamz

Ordering mine now.. for 3 bucks

Dang, I paid like 10 bucks for mine! You ruthless bargain-hunter you.

I had been thinking about getting one for a while and this thread made me go online and get one. I really think it might help -- my room is so bright in the morning and this might help with WBTB. I'm excited.

Ok, well my mask came in the mail. Should I do anything specific or just wear it all night? WBTB? Let me know, thanks! =)

i have 3 of the ones he has, my cuzin nose a shop with them in iowa

A shop for noses???


I haven't been using my mask lately and I've had a slew of LDs, go figure

I just happened to try out a sleep mask this morning after waking up from the sun. I ended up having 3 LD's after I fell back asleep and this is after not having any LD's for months and really not trying for some time!

The best part for me was that I had a FA after initially becoming lucid, which normally would lead to non-lucid dreams again. Instead, I think I found a new type of Reality Check.

I got out of my bed and went to the mirror. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw no mask... Then I remember that I had put on a sleeping mask so I felt my eyes and the mask was on. I was seeing myself through the mask and instantly realized I was dreaming, which led to me jumping out my window and flying around for awhile.

I am so excited that this worked so well!

Originally Posted by Agent_X

I just happened to try out a sleep mask this morning after waking up from the sun. I ended up having 3 LD's after I fell back asleep and this is after not having any LD's for months and really not trying for some time!

The best part for me was that I had a FA after initially becoming lucid, which normally would lead to non-lucid dreams again. Instead, I think I found a new type of Reality Check.

I got out of my bed and went to the mirror. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw no mask... Then I remember that I had put on a sleeping mask so I felt my eyes and the mask was on. I was seeing myself through the mask and instantly realized I was dreaming, which led to me jumping out my window and flying around for awhile.

I am so excited that this worked so well!

Woot! Your FA is hilarious, too. You should condition yourself to just automatically RC every time you wake up. FA's should be one of your most reliable methods of gaining lucidity. They happen so frequently (to me, anyways), it's foolish not to take advantage of them. Just get in the habit of doing the "hold the nose and breath in" RC every time you wake up - easy and effective!

Definitely gonna try this tonight!