Does better breathing improve dreaming?

[activa]

I've been trying to LD for a while, but for the past six months or so I haven't been able to even remember my dreams, let alone LD. Recently, my wife's been complaining about my snoring, so I tried using those sticky nasal strips about a week ago. Every night since then I've been able to remember my dreams, and I just had my first LD--since about a year ago--last night. My daughter told me it's impossible to go into REM when you're snoring. Has anybody else noticed a correlation between quality of sleep/quality of dreams/quality of breathing?

[InfiniteMinds]

Hi, first of all your daughter is half right, she's just got it the wrong way round. Once you get into REM sleep you won't start snoring. This is because REM sleep is when the brain is more active and breathing is shallower, you just don't take those deep slow breaths that make you snore. There is potentially a well grounded connection, being lucid requires a high level of brain activity (for someone who's asleep) and one of the key ingredients for good brain functioning is oxygen. Sticking on those nasal strips has opened up your airways meaning your lungs are getting more air into them with each breath. This in turn increases the concentration of oxygen in your blood and essentially gives your brain more fuel to play around with.

[activa]

Hi, first of all your daughter is half right, she's just got it the wrong way round. Once you get into REM sleep you won't start snoring. This is because REM sleep is when the brain is more active and breathing is shallower, you just don't take those deep slow breaths that make you snore. There is potentially a well grounded connection, being lucid requires a high level of brain activity (for someone who's asleep) and one of the key ingredients for good brain functioning is oxygen. Sticking on those nasal strips has opened up your airways meaning your lungs are getting more air into them with each breath. This in turn increases the concentration of oxygen in your blood and essentially gives your brain more fuel to play around with. Just met with my doctor who said that snoring kicks you out of REM sleep. Also, alcohol is a big factor in snoring, so if it causes snoring, which kills REM sleep, it's connected to dreaming :-[ Guess I'll have to give up my red wine in the evening. I'll just have to start drinking in the morning