Can you extend REM sleep?

**captainEO** · 01-02-2012 01:14 PM

I justed want to ask

I know that sleep consists of various stages, one of which is REM.

And I know that REM sleep is brief at first, and then later extends in the later half of sleep.

So I justed wanted to know, say if you acquire lucidity in your very first REM phase, can you extend it to last for more than a few minutes to let's say 30 minutes instead of heading back to NREM?

is that possible, or will you be kicked out?

**Erii** · 01-02-2012 07:01 PM

You can have REM rebound, which is if you stay up for a longer period of time (say, having an all nighter) then going to bed the next day, your REM periods will last longer, to "catch up
for the night before. I believe. If you take Melatonin and get 8+ hours of sleep, usually you can get some REM rebound too. With Melatonin, it suppresses your REM earlier in the night, and it all happens later in the night, lasting longer.

**captainEO** · 01-03-2012 02:20 PM

thanks for the info, cool. but I guess that means, you can't really extend each REM cycle when sleeping ordinarily

**Wyvrn** · 01-03-2012 07:39 PM

I think it might be possible. I'd like to try it, but recently my lucids have been unstable. Believe you can and try it sometime and let us know how it goes.

**cedward1** · 01-04-2012 01:23 AM

There are various supplements that can make you dream more at night. I'm not sure if they actually extend REM periods or not.

I have also heard that it is possible to dream during non REM periods of sleep also.

**Linkzelda** · 01-06-2012 07:32 AM

If you want to extend REM sleep when you sleep ordinarily, it could be possible. But another way if you can't find a way is to focus on dream senses more. When you can block most of the external senses, your body can focus more on the dream itself, and it can process information much faster, and you can use that as an advantage to feel as if you had longer experiences (kind of like altering your perception of time in dreams where you're learning more at a short time).

I think it might be better that way to alter your perception of dream time from waking time to have the feeling of longer lucid dreams that feel like hours and when you wake up it was only 30 minutes or so. Like extending the experience rather than the actual REM time (just throwing an alternative if extending your REM sleep naturally doesn't work out for you).

**captainEO** · 01-08-2012 06:06 PM

thanks for the help people

**captainEO** · 01-08-2012 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Linkzelda41

If you want to extend REM sleep when you sleep ordinarily, it could be possible. But another way if you can't find a way is to focus on dream senses more. When you can block most of the external senses, your body can focus more on the dream itself, and it can process information much faster, and you can use that as an advantage to feel as if you had longer experiences (kind of like altering your perception of time in dreams where you're learning more at a short time).

I think it might be better that way to alter your perception of dream time from waking time to have the feeling of longer lucid dreams that feel like hours and when you wake up it was only 30 minutes or so. Like extending the experience rather than the actual REM time (just throwing an alternative if extending your REM sleep naturally doesn't work out for you).

that sounds good, I'll try it, though my ability to lucid dreaming is still kinda iffy

**Linkzelda** · 01-08-2012 06:51 PM

No problem, and don't worry, you'll get it in due time.

**SilverBullet** · 01-08-2012 09:57 PM

I myself have extended my rem sleep to 2 hours straight one time. I fell asleep at 3:00AM, as I fell asleep I entered a lucid dream, the lucid dream lasted until my alarm woke me up 2 hours later at 5:00AM.

It makes you feel very rested in a small amount of time if you manage to do it.