Help! Trying to LD with construction going on!

[beachgirl]

hi all, my best time for ld's is generally from 8 to 9 am... recently some construction down the street starts every day at 8:15. i have ld'd through it but it's tough. usually the hammering just wakes me up. what do others do (dog barking, garbage trucks, etc.). i suppose i could run a fan but it still might not mask the noise. and i don't want to wear earphones. i could play music. can you ld through music playing? any one beat this type of challenge successfully? thanks

[Jen2731]

I'm going through something similar. They are working on the apartment next to mine. I started to run my a/c (I live in LA) and that seems to mask alot of the noise.

[beachgirl]

we don't have AC where i live... great idea, hope that works for you. i had the brilliant idea this morning of using the hammering as a sign to go lucid! it's not too loud, just enough to wake me up and be slightly intrusive. i'll give it a try, anyway.

[Hijo de la Luna]

First when things like this happen I make peace with what is. Easier said than done. Next, I would either use foam ear plugs/take liquid melatonin/use foam ear plugs and take melatonin. One way or another this is a great opportunity to learn how to focus your mind in deress.

[Robot_Butler]

There is no way I could sleep through something like that. If it was happening late at night, when I was tired, it wouldn't be a problem. In the morning, I know I would be unable to fall back to sleep. You could rearrange your schedule to compensate. Wake up earlier so you have more time, then swap that time for a nap in the early afternoon or evening.

[beachgirl]

well, believe it or not, i have considered going to bed earlier to time shift my whole schedule! actually tried that last night! oddly enough i dreamed of hammers this AM and they woke me up... even though i just dreamed them. amazing, the power of suggestions. i do agree, until this is done, (another month?) maybe time shifting is the best idea. hijo, earplugs don't really mask hammering. mind focus is more promising... now, listen here, mind! ignore that hammering! <grin>

[LipeMarques]

i hate so much when the apartment next to mine is in construction, last year they were doing home improvements right next to my bedroom... good thing i didn't know about LD back then...

[Hijo de la Luna]

ha ha ha I like your style he he he. Hey if you can't go back to sleep there is dusting & vaccuming & smoking pot he he he

[Novise]

There are lots of things you could use to mask the noise. There are sounds you can play on the computer like the gushing of a brook to mask noise. If the hammering is really bad. I have a small heater down here, it masks the noise pretty good. Maybe a small fan or something could mask some of the noise for you. Sometimes it gets noisy where I am. It is really discouraging. It's one reason I don't focus on LDing too much, I just let it happen. When I really got into it at first I was in a really quiet place, and had some amazing experiences. So I have that to thank now that I can just go to sleep and not be discouraged if nothing happens or I don't recall anything. It's just sad when you can't really get into it because of the distractions and you are really trying! But since you seem serious I would look into those noise things they are like soundtracks, I've seen samples of them on Youtube, not sure what they are called. Otherwise I would not focus on LDing if I had all that distraction, in fact it's what I do. Focus on it in a few months when you have quiet, and really go all out on it.

[beachgirl]

thanks, everyone fortunately it is not everyday so it's like, 50-50 so i keep ld'ing and focusing on getting better at ones that are stemming from earlier dreams no luck so far but i am now realizing it's in my head to handle that! which is a good thing, eventually

[Novise]

thanks, everyone fortunately it is not everyday so it's like, 50-50 so i keep ld'ing and focusing on getting better at ones that are stemming from earlier dreams no luck so far but i am now realizing it's in my head to handle that! which is a good thing, eventually Yes you will learn to overcome the distractions, it will just make you better, more solid at dreaming. I think it helps you to some end, some level, but ultimately you just need peace and quiet to keep a constant stream of thought, or to pick up on HI. Trying to do these things while banging noises are ocurring is beyond masoschistic to me. But a worthy effort for sure! Good luck with it.

[JustBe]

How about incorporating the construction into your LD? If you focus on being the foreman of a construction site and build your dream around that you could possibly incorporate the noises into a dream where you would expect to hear those sounds. Possibly use it as a metaphore for building a dream sequence...

[beachgirl]

next time this happens i'll give it a try and report back! of course i'll have to manage my emotions of being p**sed off, so i can ld! but they seem to have gone away (for now), but i don't think they're done for good. now it's a cold that i have to overcome. sigh! the battles we lders' face.

[Hijo de la Luna]

aw well sounds like you need a hug hope you feel better

[Flashdance]

I use cheap foam earplugs. Works great.

[MisterHyde]

My neighbour is building an extension of his kitchen, and he's making so much noise. But I got sleeping down pat a couple of years ago. Now, my method could be deemed controversial (it involves holding your breath) but it even let me sleep on a plane last year - something that was impossible before. I close my eyes, lay on my side, and hold my breath for a 10 to 20 count, and then just breathe out and let however I am breathing dictate my breathing pattern. Then I visualise my hands in front of my and rubbing them together until my real hands tingle. And that's it. If I don't drop off to sleep immediately, I listen for the hypnogogic(sp?) noises, which normally come to me as voices. And a few seconds after the voices, I am LDing. Had an awesome LD whilst the neighbour was drilling, that I was excavating Mayan ruins with a jackhammer. So much fun to ride it like a pogo stick!