Working schedules v. Dreaming

Hi! :)

Recently I was offered a good job at a wonderful workplace. *fistpump* I'm having a great time, but the job has me working till 9:35 PM at the earliest, sometimes till as late as 10:30. Then it's a twenty-minute drive back to my house. And I don't work every single day of the week. My schedule shifts around a lot. (The job is also rather physically demanding.)

I have, as I expected, noticed a negative impact on my dream life. Dream recall has become more difficult, and indulging myself in sleeping in instead of waking at my normal hours has of course contributed to that.

Are any of you in (or have been in) similar situations? How do you deal with it? Are there any things it might be helpful to do? What advice do you have for someone in my position?

Thank you all so much. This community rocks! :)

It doesn't have to be an issue.... on days where i have had less sleep i will sometimes get lucid... last night i awoke from a lucid at 1:30 am after only about 90 minutes in bed...first REM cycle. I think frame of mind more important. Now, if you are really tired I think your subconscious does not want to LD, and that may be a good thing. Just don't "tell" yourself you can't LD due to your schedule or your subconscious might believe you! I only get 7 hrs sleep max due to work. But nights with 6 hrs have worked as far as LD'S too. Just don't TRY too hard...that is not productive.

Hmm! Interesting, thank you. I hadn't factored in my state of mind. That's very helpful to know. You mentioned you shouldn't "tell" yourself you can't LD, but you also mentioned you shouldn't try too hard. Do you mind explaining that just a bit, if it isn't much trouble?

In my experience the subconscious picks up subtle input during the conscious state. If you analyze your dreams you may be able to see what things it catches and re-interprets in dreams. It's often not the big thing you've been stressing over, but some little event that occurred which you dream about. If you unintentionally (subtly) think "oh, I am tired...I may not be able to LD" you might set that thought in the subconscious. So you want to subtly think "I will LD tonight." But I don't subscribe to going over and over that thought as it then becomes conscious desire not subconscious intent.

I see. That's really helpful. Thank you. :)

For me, college is the main problem as I have to get up well before 6 in the morning. I guess that means I'll be needing to get to bed earlier. But that too can be hard since I still have work from college to do at home. So I just use the precious time I have to try dreaming as best as I can. I noticed, as have many other people, that delayed sleep can (especially for long periods of time) result in something called REM rebound. I think rebound is very effective on days that you can sleep properly after delayed sleep since your REM periods will be very intense and long. If that's the case for you too, then take that as an advantage. That's how I got my first lucid dream :D

So, does your REM cycle still start at the same time, or does it shift around in relation to the length of your sleep?

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Originally Posted by sedrick

So, does your REM cycle still start at the same time, or does it shift around in relation to the length of your sleep?

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It fluctuates depending on the length of my sleep in the days before. I usually get bursts of high REM periods if I suffered insomnia for say, 2 days (or in my case, sleep deprivation from college) accompanied by some pretty intense dreams. So for me personally, it just depends on my previous sleeping patterns.

Ok, I get it. :) I'll try to use the schedule to my advantage. Thank you, sir!

You're welcome! Remember though.... this is not a guaranteed technique. It's just something you might want play around with. If you don't find success in it or the intense REM periods you were hoping for, just experiment around with it and maybe even do some further research on how the REM cycle works (specifically when when sleep deprived). You are bound to find something helpful :)

Are there any articles here on DV or anywhere else that you might recommend for, as you called it, further research? I mean, obviously I can do some digging on my own. I just thought I'd ask. :)

I agree with Rothgar: I recently had several lucid dreams on a night when I was not at all rested. REM rebound is a force to be reckoned with. However, recall in general does seem to suffer when we are sleep deprived. My advice:

1) naps. Seriously, one of the best ways to insure you are getting enough sleep. They can also help you fall asleep aware, so that you have a better shot at lucidity early in the night.

2) practice when you can, and don't sacrifice sleep.

3) continue to practice autosuggestion (and other "non-invasive") techniques if you cannot WBTB.

4) when you can practice, go all out.

Thanks for the advice, ThreeCat! I have tried WILDing while napping in the afternoon, but I always had a hard time falling asleep that night. I haven't tried napping since I got my job, so I'll definitely give it a try and let you know how it goes if you like. :)

Yes, definitely! Let us know how it goes :)

if I CAN LUCID dream with the way that I WORK ,ANYBODY CAN.
I work a rotating shift, that changes EVERY WEEK. I have no regular sleep cycle.
I work days for a week, then afternoons for a week, then midnites for a week....
then i rotate back to days....and the process repeats....
AND MY COMMUTE IS AN HOUR-----ONE WAY.
Confidence in your ability and ORGANIZATION of your time is KEY........
Plan your dreamwork in advance, get to bed early and make WBTB your friend, not your enemy, like ThreeCat said, TAKE NAPS!
NAPS ARE A SECRET WEAPON for us Oneironauts to INVADE the dreamworld unexpectedly and catch our subconscious with its pants down!

Today is probably my last day of work before I leave on a vacation, and I don't think I'll be able to get a nap in this afternoon. But as soon as I have the chance, Ill try it out and let you know what happens. :)

Coincidentally, I think I nearly WILDed naturally at about 6 this morning. I had some very vivid imagery and I felt like I was tumbling downhill in a barrel. But for whatever reason, I didn't seize the opportunity and rolled over and went to sleep. It's so frustrating when your mind chickens out. :( But I do think it proves your point, DreamBeard. This was the first time I've gotten anywhere near a WILD without trying.

Thank you.