Thread: Caffeine and Lucidity: Increased Lucidity and Dream Recall After Quitting Caffeine

I put this in the "Lucid Aids" forum because I have seen caffeine suggested as a method to increase alertness when attempting a WILD. Also keep in mind that dark chocolate also contains caffeine. If this is in the wrong place, I apologize.

Roughly 10 days ago, I got the brilliant idea to stop drinking coffee or drinks containing caffeine. I say "brilliant" sarcastically, because the caffeine withdrawal sucked.

From what I understand, you are supposed to be physically over the caffeine withdrawal within 9 days. The first 4 of those days were hell - I was a heavy coffee drinker. I felt like I had the flu! When I stopped drinking it, lucid dreams were the last thing on my mind. I was doing it because coffee has been getting more expensive, and for health reasons related to a chronic illness. I'd been advised to stop drinking caffeine in the past, but giving it up had always been... well... hard. I will fully admit that it took a lot of resolve.

I experienced an immediate increase in REM. Not surprising - I've known for a while that caffeine actually disrupts REM sleep. Not only did the vividness and quality increase - so did the quantity. I went from recalling 2-3 dreams per night to easily recalling 5 or even 6. Not only that, but I spontaneously went lucid a few nights afterward, which I have not done in a very long time, and I have been able to successfully induce a lucid dream in 2 out of the 3 past nights.

I admit I have been out of practice. I haven't been practicing WILD or ADA since around November. I will also admit that since my first spontaneous lucid after stopping my caffeine consumption, I have gone back to practicing ADA. I can't really quite say if it's 100% the ADA or stopping caffeine, or if it's a combination of the two. It's a lot like riding a bicycle, though - once you've learned, you don't really forget.

If you've been having a rough time inducing lucid dreams and happen to be a heavy coffee/energy drink/soda drinker, and you're willing to go through the (horrible!) withdrawal and stick with it for the 9 days it takes to get over it, you might give it a try and see what happens. If anybody's brave enough to try, or has already done this themselves, please report back... I'm curious.