Thread: WILD Confusion

You can by all means attempt it, but at night people are usually very tired and can just fall asleep easily, or are busy thinking about their day. using WBTB and napping, people are not as tired and can focus on their intent more. Getting the right balance between being awake and tired is important, which is why WTBT is suggested.

I also have read somewhere that it has to do with REM cycles.

I hope this helps you!

You can't WILD right when you go to bed at night. REM cycles (and thus dreams) do not start until later on, and they get longer throughout the night. People go for a WILD after having been asleep for a few hours. You could wake up at 4am and try then (WBTB), or go for an early-afternoon nap. Check it:

Although you can't have a WILD right as you are going to bed, I find that this time is useful for meditation and even self-hypnosis. From this point you can drift in to a dream.

I think you guys are missing the question. I believe lucidfish is asking why no prior sleep is needed to do nap WILDs, while you need prior sleep to do a WILD at night. I've wondered the same thing. :/

I may be wrong, but I think I've heard that you have a midday REM cycle at about 2:00 or 3:00. (Could this be the 2:30 feeling those energy shot commercials are referring to?)

When we sleep at night we drift right into deep sleep, and we don't hit REM until after 90 or so minutes. So you can't WILD through the deep sleep phase. Naps don't fit well into our circadian rhythm, and people can go right into REM (dreaming phase). Like haven't you ever been slowly drifting to sleep in a car or something during the day and kicked yourself awake from some dream? It hits right as you are between being awake and asleep. Although after a weird sleep cycle, some people can have short REM periods in the beginning of the night.