I want to cover a few topics that closely relate to lucid dreaming. As I mentioned before, the more you know about lucid dreaming and related topics, the better chances you will have to refine your skills to achieve lucidity, longer and more often. You will also increase the control over your lucid dreams the more you know about this phenomenal skill.

The Stages of Sleep

Sleep is divided into five stages. It is driven by natural cycles of activity in the brain. Sleep consists of two basic states, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (stages 1 – 4) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (stage 5).

During sleep, the body changes between non-REM and REM sleep. You will usually start the sleep cycle with a period of non-REM sleep followed by periods of REM sleep. Dreams and lucid dreams occur during the REM stage of sleep.

Non-Rapid-Eye-Movement (NREM) Sleep

Each stage of NREM sleep can last approximately 5 to 15 minutes. You will generally go through the four stages of NREM sleep before REM sleep occurs.

• Stage 1: Your eyes are closed and you can be awakened easily. Stage 1 may last for five to ten minutes. Many may notice a feeling of falling during this stage of sleep, which may cause you to wake with some degree of panic.
• Stage 2: This is a period of light sleep. Your heart rate slows and your body temperature decreases. At this point, your body prepares itself to enter a state of deep sleep.
• Stages 3 and 4: These are deep sleep stages. Stage four is a deeper sleep than stage three.
• Stage 5: This is the period of REM sleep and your opportunity to have lucid dreams.
  

Sleep does not progress through these stages in order. Sleep begins in stage 1 and progresses into stages 2, 3 and 4. After stage 4, stage 3 and then stage 2 are repeated before entering stage 5, REM sleep.

During the deep stages of NREM sleep, the body repairs and regenerates itself, which is obviously a very important benefit of sleeping.

Rapid-Eye-Movement (REM) Sleep

REM sleep can begin approximately 90 minutes after you first fall asleep. During this stage your eyes move rapidly in different directions. Intense dreaming occurs during REM sleep as a result of heightened brain activity. The first period of REM sleep normally is fairly short. Each recurring REM sleep period occupies a longer period of time. Your final REM sleep periods may last up to an hour or so. REM sleep periods can occupy 90-120 minutes of your night’s sleep. You will typically experience about five periods of REM sleep during a full sleep period. Your heart and breathing rate are irregular during REM sleep, similar to you waking state. REM sleep gives you your golden opportunity to become lucid.

Polysomnograms are used in sleep labs to show brainwave patterns while you are sleeping. While you are in REM sleep, your brainwaves are similar to what they are when you are awake. This is the relationship between REM sleep and lucid dreaming.

Sleep and dream well.

© 2009 – 2011 Gary Gardner, All Rights Reserved