Do you ever feel anxious about lucid dreams?

**Dinside** · 01-20-2016 07:20 PM

So, this is what happened. Yesterday, I decided to try for the first time the WBTB thing + WILD. So I went to bed at the same time I usually go and set my alarm for five hours later.

The thing is... I couldn't sleep for like three hours!

Do you guys think this is because I was anxious about lucid dream? (I do admit that I was almost sure I was going to have a lucid dream last night, for some reason)
Maybe it was because I knew I had to fall asleep quickly in order to actually sleep around five hours?
Have you ever had the same problem?

Ps. I've been trying to lucid dream for almost two weeks now, and I've succeeded once.

Thanks!

**Ajanime22** · 01-20-2016 07:30 PM

First of all, wow! My first lucid dream came after trying for about 3 months.

On another note, I have found that impatience and anxiety tend to kill any shot I have at lucid dreaming. Remember that in order for you to lucid dream, your body must be asleep. I suggest you try to have a more relaxed attitude towards it.

**Spock** · 01-20-2016 07:54 PM

I do think that this is anxiety or over-thinking related. It's pretty common and natural to feel this way about every new skill that you're trying to develop. I had a similar problem - after some of my WBTB WILDs I used to not being able to fall back asleep being anxious about getting too little sleep or wanting to try the WILD again. Nowadays, I can make usually clear my head and relax to not have this problem in real life, although most of my wake induced false awakenings start by trying desperately to fall asleep and getting anxiety over it (not realizing that I'm actually dreaming - already asleep). It now became a dream sign for me...

As I said, over-thinking and worrying about developing a new skill is very common and natural. However it's one of the most counterproductive things that can happen. The key is just to be able to relax and realize that the less you stress about something the more you're likely to perfect it faster. I suggest that when you feel that you're over-stressing and can't fall asleep - just try to relax and remained yourself that you're practicing lucid dreaming to have some fun. The whole point of it is to have fun and to be more in tune with yourself, so just tell yourself "forget about the alarm, I'm just going to have some fun and dream" (or something similar). If this doesn't work, you can try a different method designed to distract you from the anxiety - try to "fake" the process of falling asleep. Generate random memories from your day - like your breakfast, your conversation with a loved one, etc, and go from one to the next passively but focus on the process (instead of focusing on the goal, which is to fall asleep). This will eventually make you actually fall asleep, or at least distract you from over-thinking.

By the way, for many getting that first lucid takes months... So, if you already had a lucid after just two weeks of practice it is a tremendous success!

**Redrivertears** · 01-20-2016 11:06 PM

Hey there,

Its like that with anything you're too worried or excited about, isn't it? Sometimes when you're really anxious about a problem the next day, or really looking forward to something the next day, you may be thinking about it so much you can't sleep. Its not directly related to lucid dreaming.

-Redrivertears-

**Dinside** · 01-21-2016 03:10 AM

Thank you for your help guys! I'll try to keep calm. And that "faking the process of falling asleep" thing sounds pretty useful! I'll give it a try too!

And also, thank you for congratulating me

**jzinser** · 01-21-2016 07:43 PM

It is normal, and I agree with Redrive... its not related specifically to LD.

It happened to me at first but after some days it started going away... Good luck!

**robertcox88** · 01-22-2016 06:00 AM

I'm gonna try that fake falling asleep thing too... but on average it takes people 14 minutes to fall asleep (last I read anyway) so setting your alarm for 5 hours and 14 minutes might be useful. You have some leeway there.

**xxPhoebusxx** · 01-23-2016 05:16 PM

I have two suggestions

1. Learn meditation to calm your mind. It also has the added effect of making you more mindful
2. Keep practicing with time it becomes less of something that gets you excited. You'll just be thinking a lucid would be nice tonight. But I'm relaxed and if it doesn't happen it will tomorrow.

**Dinside** · 01-24-2016 07:13 AM

I will, thank you!! (Actually I know a bit about meditation but I believe you can't do it lying. Maybe I'm wrong?)

**xxPhoebusxx** · 01-24-2016 05:38 PM

Meditation is all about mindfulness. You can do it by being focused. Walking to the store, laying in bed, studying.
I suspect it has the carryover of being more able to maintain longer lucids as well. Not only for becoming aware but staying in the dream.

For example as a rough guide it seems likely that your waking ability to maintain focus and not be dragged into your thoughts. That should be the same as how long it takes you to be distracted and lose lucidity in the dream.