WILD and REM cycles

I just tried to WILD, and I got stuck in the 'Falling Asleep' stage since my REM cycle apparently never came by.

I was wondering if REM cycles are set in stone or if they depend on your schedule?
If it's the latter, how would I go about finding my REM schedule?

I remember reading somewhere that REM usually occurs 4-6 hours after falling asleep

I don't think I read it on Dream Views but it's probably here unless this info is false :(

By google image searching "rem cycle graph," you can find a couple different graphs showing when REM sleep occurs with a regular night's sleep. This one here is easiest for me to read. I have no idea if this is accurate or not, but the other graphs seem to say the same thing.

Another option may be to try the DEILD method, but instead of staying still to reenter a dream, you could look at a clock and see about what time you are having dreams. Although I haven't done this, it seems to me like it could help you find your REM periods.

I've also heard that we have REM cycles when we're awake or something? In the WILD tutorial, it says

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Afternoon naps are also a good time to make an attempt, since most people have a REM cycle in the late afternoon or early evening.

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So how would we determine when our waking REM cycles are?

Don't think too much about REM cycles. Just try WILDing after 4-5 hours of sleep.

I mean, the point of this was to ask about the nap. I know the general time to set my alarm at night, but in the afternoon is when I'm having problems.

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Originally Posted by Ryralane

I've also heard that we have REM cycles when we're awake or something? In the WILD tutorial, it says

So how would we determine when our waking REM cycles are?

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As long as you take a nap within a few hours of waking up in the morning you should fall straight into REM because your brain will still be rested from the nights sleep. If you wait too long it will go into NREM first making a WILD much more difficult.

Hm, so taking afternoon naps won't work? Or rather, it'd be really hard?

Say you wake up at 6am. It will be easier to nap and attempt a WILD at 10am than it would be at noon. The more time passes the harder it will be.

Sleep cycles vary from person to person and how long each phase lasts depends on what you did or didn't do during the day. There are a lot of unknown factors involved and it's all still a bit of a mystery. I think it's better to focus more on gaining experience than trying to time everything out. WBTB or take a nap whenever you feel like it. Just try to familiarize yourself with the process of falling asleep. Look for changes in your thought patterns and ability to focus. Try to observe yourself falling asleep. With practice you'll just know when the time is right to attempt a WILD.

For example I can tell whether I'm going to fall into REM or NREM based on what kind of hypnagogic imagery I'm experiencing. After a WBTB I spend a few minutes setting my intention to WILD and allowing myself to move close to sleep. If all I'm seeing at this point are color patterns or vague shapes I know I'm going to fall into NREM, making it a bad time to WILD. If I see actual images flashing in front of me I know I'm falling straight into REM, making it a perfect time to WILD.

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Originally Posted by Ryralane

Hm, so taking afternoon naps won't work? Or rather, it'd be really hard?

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i think the answer you're looking for here is: Yes. Odds are excellent that afternoon naps will occur after your previous night's REM cycles, and you'll have a more difficult time dreaming then...doesn't mean dreams won't happen, but yeah, they'll be less likely.

From research and just general reading I've done over the years, I figured that a normal full sleep cycle is more or less just longer than an hour. If you own a smartphone, like an iPhone or any Android phone which has an accelerometer, search for an app using the keywords 'smart alarm clock' and you'll find many "smart" alarm clock apps, which is indeed smart, and most of them free. What it does is: it measures the movements you make during sleep and the times you move the most are the times you are in REM sleep. It then builds up a graph and wakes you up in a specified window during that light sleep stages. The app I have work every time for me and you can view the graph it recorded and gives quite interesting insight into your sleep cycles. This might help planning your sleep for LD'ing...

Hope this was helpful