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Does having lucid dreams really make you more rested than other dreams? (Reading "Insomnia" by Stephen King)
I'm reading Insomnia, and King is writing a lot about different theories and sleep problems. Unfortunately, I'm one of the many that suffer from insomnia...although it has GREATLY improved in the last year or so. I, however, am always tired no matter how long I sleep or how comfortable the bed is. I almost always remember my dreams, and they're usually quite vivid and ALWAYS full of color (I've never had a black and white dream), but I never seem to get good night's sleep. About a third of them are nightmares so I don't know if that's got something to do with it.
In the book, there is a pharmacist that goes into detail about how people really only feel rested after having lucid dreams (the ones where you know you're dreaming and you're able to cause things to happen in your dream just by thinking). I know I've never had a lucid dream (at least one I remember) and I'm wondering if there really is a correlation.
Also, is there any way to give yourself lucid dreams?
1 Answer
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
No, lucid dreaming itself does not make you more rested. Rest comes from completing REM cycles. Dreaming is a part of this cycle. If you wake up during a REM cycle or do not sleep long enough to fulfill your body's need for them, you will be tired. They are generally 90 minutes long. This is why you may feel more tired after sleeping for 4 hours than 3, or 7 hours than 6.
Here's what may interest you: Normally a person will not remember a dream they have. If a person wakes up while they are dreaming, then they will briefly remember the dream while it is in their short term memory (it will generally fade quickly if it is not consciously committed to long-term memory). Because you always remember your dreams, you make not be completing your REM cycles, which could explain why you are never rested.
As for Lucid dreaming, I've never heard of it being a treatment, and it is difficult to do if you are not experienced. I've tried it and gotten it to work on maybe 20% of my attempts. Here is a site with much more information and directions for several methods which you can try:
Source(s): Psych classes, personal experience
