How important is a regular sleep schedule?

[stateofmind]

I've been recording my dreams and doing reality checks on and off for a little less than a year now but the only thing I haven't really cultivated was a regular sleep schedule. I want to get up at 6:30 every morning and go to bed at 11:00 but it's so hard!! I was wondering... just how important is a sleep schedule for lucid dreaming?

[eppy]

i think it is important.

[Shift]

I dunno, the best REM periods are later, and good sleep is necessary for better performance. I usually only get 5 hours a night at school, and I still manage to lucid dream. So I think it helps, but I don't think it's completely necessary. You may have a higher LD frequency with a better sleeping schedule, but even napping or only getting 5 hours of sleep seems to be enough sometimes.

[Dave B]

The most important thing is make sure your not tired!

[Niddiboy]

yeah being tired affects me as i have a deeper sleep, longer sleep means longer REM periods, which are the key to lucid dreaming =D

[seeker28]

Personally I believe that as long as you get enough sleep for you (varries from about 6-9 hours per day) a set sleep schedule is not necessary for LDing. However, because a set sleep schedule can cut down on mild insomnia as well as make sure you are getting enough sleep on a regular basis it can be helpful. I know that as long as I get enough sleep I can have as varried a sleep schedule as I need to and still LD.

[Keitorin]

What everyone else said. But if you do decide to start a sleep schedule, don't do it all at once. I speak from experience. A while back, I decided to get up at 7 and sleep at 11. I manage to get to bed at 11, but I can't seem to wake up at 7. Start off slow is all I'm saying.

[DuB]

It's not a necessity, but it certainly helps. Over the summer I had a pretty static sleep schedule and I got lucid 1-3 times per week. Now that school has started back up again and my sleep patterns are erratic, I'm getting lucid only once every few weeks. Of course, I'm also a lot more stressed than I was over the summer, what with applying to grad schools and all, so it's kind of hard to tease apart all the factors. But conventional wisdom (if DV can be said to have such a thing ) holds that you're more likely to get lucid during a good night's sleep - and a regular sleep schedule certainly contributes to that.

[ninja9578]

Sometimes a fucked up sleep schedule can help. I've been pretty eccentric recently, but my lucidity is doing just fine

[Robot_Butler]

I'm on the fence with this one. I've been trying to make up my mind for 10 years. On the one hand, a consistent sleep schedule can help you sleep longer, with longer and more regular REM cycles. On the other hand, a messed up sleep schedule can really help mix you up to the point of being lucid. Some of the best dreams (lucid and non) I've ever had were from REM rebound, sleep deprivation, naps, or sleeping in all morning.

[WolfeDreamer531]

I'm on the fence with this one. I've been trying to make up my mind for 10 years. On the one hand, a consistent sleep schedule can help you sleep longer, with longer and more regular REM cycles. On the other hand, a messed up sleep schedule can really help mix you up to the point of being lucid. Some of the best dreams (lucid and non) I've ever had were from REM rebound, sleep deprivation, naps, or sleeping in all morning. I second that. Ive always had a messed up sleep schedule (still do) and sometimes go days with only 4 hours or less of sleep. However, for the days that I am actually able to sleep in, I have drastic REM rebound that more than likely leads to LDs. Like last week after getting up after a few hours of sleep to go for a morning session (during a sleep/REM deprived week), I came back and took a nap only to have four incredibly long LDs followed by two long non-LDs.