Thread: Do you set alarms

It's best to wake up naturally during the night, instead of using an alarm to force yourself awake. It can disrupt your ability to recall dreams because the awakening is too sudden, and you don't transition from dreaming to wakefulness as smoothly. You also miss the chance of being able to just lie in bed with your eyes closed and remember your dreams that way, because your alarm clock is beeping for you to shut it off.

If you do want to set an alarm though, try setting it for 5 - 6 hours after you initially fall asleep. For instance, if you go to bed at 8:00 PM, set the clock for 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. During this time you could also try a WBTB or WILD, so you have a shot at a lucid dream too!

How do you wake up naturally? I heard the "drink a lot of water" method. That might not work for me though, because I usually drink alot of water before bed and don't have to wake up at night.

Well, mostly everyone wakes up in the middle of the night. Those who don't believe they wake up just don't remember it, because they probably only wake up for a very brief period of time.

In this case, you can train yourself to be aware when you wake up. When you get up in the morning, catch yourself as soon as you can after waking, and just lay in bed for a few moments, seeing how your body feels and how groggy you are. Knowing what sensations you experience upon waking up can help you realize when you're in that brief window of waking in the middle of the night. It's similar to how you train yourself to stay still when trying the DEILD technique.

I did when i was a beginner and it helped. But i dont anymore. Actually i tried an alarm during my dryspell. It just made things worse.