sleep with light?

[TheWall]

Hi, newbie here . Anyway a simple question, I'm going to start tonight since I just found out about lucid dreaming and the journey to them begins tonight . So if I sleep with the TV on the doc says I can't go into a deep sleep but I am terribly afraid of the dark so can I sleep with a night light and a timed shut off radio? Thanks much.

[Mes Tarrant]

to DV! Did your doc say that you specifically can't go into deep sleep with a light, or that people in general can't? If it's the latter statement, I'd have to strongly disagree simply because I've done so myself. I don't know if you have some sort of uber-sensitivity to light, but I can sleep with all the lights on just fine, and definitely with an itty bitty night light. Also, if it prevents deep sleep for you.. well, that might work to your advantage if you're trying to LD! You might have a greater chance of keeping your consciousness awake. Aside from that, you need to start getting over your fear of the dark.

[TheWall]

Thanks Doc said people in general. I honestly have no problem with light but also I have the sound on but I can shut that right off with the all powerful mute button. So the lighter of a sleep the easier to LD? I really can't seem to get over this fear, like if I'm in the dark I keep repeating it's just an absence of light to myself but it doesn't work . Tips?

[Mes Tarrant]

In theory, the lighter the sleeper you are the easier it is to LD. In practice, it varies from person to person. So, try it for a few nights and report back what happens. I think some time ago there was a thread specifically made for discussing fear of the dark. But I may be imagining that. Hmm. I'll look for it, in any case. I used to be afraid of the dark when I was younger, and I'd just tell myself that everything is okay because my parents are just down the hall, and they would know if anything bad was going to happen. I'd also tell myself that my cat would be aware of something wrong way before me, so I was calm as long as he was calm!

[TheWall]

Okay well if you do find that thread that'd be great thanks . Yeah I wish I could bring my dog in the house then everything would be alright, but she's too big lol, like a bear.

[Clairity]

There was in fact a lucid method that stated that you should sleep with some light in the room as it helped you sleep lighter therefore helping you to become lucid. I actually found that my lucids were brighter when I have slept with the lights on (I used a dimmer but a night light would be just as effective I'd think). I think some time ago there was a thread specifically made for discussing fear of the dark. But I may be imagining that. Hmm. I'll look for it, in any case. Mes, I believe this is the post you were referring to: http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ad.php?t=37533

[Mes Tarrant]

^^ Yes, precisely! Thank youz.

[ninja9578]

Wait, a doctor in what told you that? Everyone goes into deep sleep every night, whether a TV is on or not, it's part of the sleep cycle. If you're going to a school where a psyche professor is telling you that you don't, you need to drop out Doctor Laberge slept with all sorts of monitors on and wires connected to him, you can sleep with a tv on.

[TheWall]

Actually it was my medical doctor who told me because I told her I have trouble falling asleep... any thoughts on that as well? I really have a lot of trouble falling asleep at times.

[Mes Tarrant]

^^ That could be due to a number of things. Diet, exercise... the activities that you do or don't do during the days..

[kogatojr]

^^ That could be due to a number of things. Diet, exercise... the activities that you do or don't do during the days.. That's a big factor. Not getting enough activity that is. Make it a point to get up and walk around more. If you find your self sitting around too much, don't.

[TheWall]

But I like being a couch potatoe, lol but okay I'll get more activity. Anywho, I start dream journal tonight and I'd like any info I'll need like what should I tell myself before going to bed, what should I record, should I wake up between dreams or just in the morning and see what I remember. Will I have to change my sleep pattern, ie. getting up earlier or waking up more often in the night?

[Clairity]

I try and write my about my dreams as soon as I wake up from them because if I wait til morning.. I lose alot (if not all) the details. Below is my take on dream recall and journaling: What really messes up my recall is being jarred awake by an alarm or some other sound and/or if I immediately change position or start thinking about my day once I wake up. Try telling your subconscioius to wake you up after each dream or to wake you up about 15 minutes before your alarm goes off (I know it sounds stupid but you'd be surprised how accomodating your subconscious can be). Once you wake up.. do not move! Think about the dream that you just had.. If nothing comes to mind.. try to remember if there was a specific person, place, thing, food or emotion in the dream. Once you come up with even a tidbit of the dream.. try to work your way backward.. how did you get there.. who was with you, etc. I keep a small memo pad open with a pen clipped to the spiral next to my pillow. When I wake up from a dream, I don't turn on the lights, nor open my eyes.. I just reach for the pad and start writing. No one says that you have to write a "book" about the dreams you had in your journal. For me, if I'm too tired (or lazy), simply writing down the main topic/subject, and a word or two or a feeling is enough for me to recall a dream. Some people just write snippets of their dreams.. others write paragraphs, some put images, or feelings, others draw pictures.. whatever helps to bring a dream back to you when you read over it the next morning is appropriate. Please just know that there is no right way (or one way) to remember or journal about your dreams.

[Oros]

It sound like you are sure you will make it tonight, but it might be harden than you think. but even if it is you should not give up. i don't know if the TV idea is that good. do WBTB instead and stay up for a while.

[kogatojr]

But I like being a couch potatoe, lol but okay I'll get more activity. Anywho, I start dream journal tonight and I'd like any info I'll need like what should I tell myself before going to bed, what should I record, should I wake up between dreams or just in the morning and see what I remember. Will I have to change my sleep pattern, ie. getting up earlier or waking up more often in the night? What I do before I go to bed is just tell myself that I'm going to have vivid dreams, and I am going to remember them. Because the more vivid my dreams are, the more likely I find that I remember them in a whole. You don't really have to change your sleeping patterns, I find that if I go to bed a few hours later my dreams are vastly more vivid, however, if you are trying to get more sleep... probably not be best idea.

[ChrissyMaria]

Speaking of light, and sleep I read this study somewhere on the news, that women who live in urban areas are more likely to develop breast cancer because the body needs total darkness at sleep time so that a certain hormone can be produced, now with men I'm not sure but I would take a gamble and say sleeping with light is un-healthy I personally sleep in pitch blackness, can't even see my own arm or if someone snuck into the room but, the way I know I won't be afraid in the dark is to re-assure myself, if anyone were to enter my house, I'd damn well hear them! Its hard to overcome fear of dark but when you do, darkness is fun! I love the dark to be honest, so spooky and quiet and calm, so unpredictable and exciting.. maybe thats just me Anyways good luck overcoming fear of night cause I truly believe that light pollution effects animals sleep patterns, that it would effect our sleep also I'm no scientist but it makes sense, the body needs light from the sun, or else you could be in a depressed mood, but night-time the body needs darkness, the mind may not like it but, its optimally healthy in my honest opinion.