Thread: caffeine

Hmmm, it can be good or bad depending on when you have it! If you have it a while before bed, it will make you active, then tired, etc. If you have it during the night when you dream, it means you will be more 'awake' while dreaming, usually resulting in better recall, vividness, chance of LD, etc. So I'd say if you do wanna drink coffee, wait until about 4 in the morning!

Caffeine affects different people differently. I've been a caffeine user my whole life, and remain so by choice. I find that waking up early in the morning and having a cup of coffee is a superb way to prepare to WILD. It is also very helpful in remembering my dreams.

Caffeine before bed has different effects on me at different times. If it is combined with a lot of stimulating activity, it can keep me from sleeping well... which also means I dream extremely vividly during what sleep I get. At other times, it doesn't make much of a difference at all. If I don't have coffee in the morning, it will trigger a migraine. Such is the life of a caffeine addict.

That's what I've observed about myself. I know others who cannot drink coffee in the evenings and expect to sleep at all. The best thing is to experiment yourself and remember the results. Your experiences will be unique to you. If it's useful, use it. If it is a hindrance, avoid it.

Thanks for the responses.

I did awake earlier, but also remember having a cool dream, the problem is i couldn't remember it. Although, i did engage in some activities that might have awoken me that night. Plus, i meditated, than actualy fell asleep for around 1 hour, which could cause my reason for waking so early.


I'm going to experiment on this. Coffee is great . Hopefully, i'll have some crazy dreams tonight, and i might Lucid for my first time (without accident) !

If you are looking for chemical enhancement of your dreams, you might do a search. There are several threads floating around on the general theme. There have been solid results with one of the B vitamines, among other things.

Originally posted by AcidFear
Thanks for the responses.

I did awake earlier, but also remember having a cool dream, the problem is i couldn't remember it. Although, i did engage in some activities that might have awoken me that night. Plus, i meditated, than actualy fell asleep for around 1 hour, which could cause my reason for waking so early.


I'm going to experiment on this. Coffee is great . Hopefully, i'll have some crazy dreams tonight, and i might Lucid for my first time (without accident) !

Dude, you wont MIGHT have a dream tonight, you WILL have one tonight

Both caffeine and alcohol can suppress REM - odd, since one is a CNS
stimulant, the other a CNS depressant.
Because I enjoy coffee sooo much I take in far too much caffeine per day.
I would like to know the true effects that it may have on recall. I feel my recall is not up to par.

I had a cup of coffee last night before bed. It isn't enough to establish a cause-effect relationship, but I did have lousy dream recall.

In fact, I almost lost an LD in which I achieved one of my goals. That one did come back, but all the other dreams of the night were lost.

There were other variables too though. It is time to start logging all those variables in my DJ, methinks.

I drink a lot of coffee, though not so much right now since I'm not at school. At any rate, Howetzer, I didn't know that it supressed REM, but Iike alcohol I suppose it affects different people differently.

When I drink coffee, though, I find that it seems to affect me twice; once soon after drinking it, and then again about 7 hours later. That also means that if I drink coffee in the afternoon, it won't necessarily keep me awake, but since I am a light sleeper anyway, it causes me to continually wake and is really a drag on my recall. But that's just me.

Originally posted by Amethyst Star
I drink a lot of coffee, though not so much right now since I'm not at school. *At any rate, Howetzer, I didn't know that it supressed REM, but Iike alcohol I suppose it affects different people differently.

When I drink coffee, though, I find that it seems to affect me twice; once soon after drinking it, and then again about 7 hours later. *That also means that if I drink coffee in the afternoon, it won't necessarily keep me awake, but since I am a light sleeper anyway, it causes me to continually wake and is really a drag on my recall. *But that's just me.

I think this is happeneing to me bit. I have been drinking coffee a lot and it has affected me in the recall department.....I don't even drink it all day....Only in the morning, but I keep waking up and such, and I don't think there is anything else that could possibly be the cause.

I don't drink much coffee, but I find that a coke/pepsi around 3pm is good for me when wanting to LD at night. Caffiene has a big effect on me though. So one can around 3pm will keep me more awake for over 24 hours. I tend to not sleep as deeply after I've had a soda earlier in the day.

Then again as was stated before the caffiene has a different effect on everyone.