Lucid dreaming, where you are aware that you are dreaming while still inside the dream, can take practice. While there is no guaranteed way to lucid dream on a specific night, there are several techniques you can try to increase your chances of having a lucid dream tonight.
Reality Checks
Perform reality checks throughout the day to get into the habit of questioning whether you’re dreaming. These checks will become ingrained and might occur during your dream, prompting you to realize it’s a dream.
- Check your hands: In dreams, your hands often look strange or blurry. Look at your hands throughout the day, and if they look odd in a dream, you may realize you’re dreaming.
- Pinch your nose: Try pinching your nose and see if you can still breathe. In a dream, you’ll often still be able to breathe through your nose.
- Look at clocks or text: The time on a clock or written text in a dream often changes rapidly or looks strange. Check a clock, look away, and check it again. If the time shifts dramatically, it’s a sign you’re dreaming.
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
This method involves setting an intention to realize you are dreaming while you fall asleep.
- Before bed, focus on your desire to lucid dream. Tell yourself, “I will realize that I’m dreaming.”
- Visualize yourself in a dream scenario, becoming aware that you’re dreaming. Imagine the moment you realize it’s a dream and what you’ll do once you’re lucid.
- Repeat a mantra as you drift to sleep: “Next time I dream, I will know I’m dreaming.”
Wake Back to Bed (WBTB)
This technique involves waking up after a few hours of sleep and then going back to bed to enter a REM (rapid eye movement) sleep phase, where dreams are more vivid.
- Set an alarm for 4.5-6 hours after you fall asleep.
- When you wake up, stay awake for 20–30 minutes, read or think about lucid dreaming.
- Go back to sleep, and as you do, focus on the intention of realizing you’re dreaming.
Keep a Dream Journal
- As soon as you wake up, write down every detail of your dreams. This will help you recall dreams more clearly and recognize recurring themes, people, or situations.
- By increasing your awareness of your dreams, you might start recognizing dream signs that trigger lucidity.
Use the Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD) Technique
- Lie down in a comfortable position, focusing on the sensations of your body.
- As you begin to fall asleep, focus on maintaining awareness without moving.
- You may experience sensations like vibrations, hearing sounds, or seeing flashing lights. Stay calm and observe them without fear.
- Eventually, your body will fall asleep while your mind remains awake, and you may slip directly into a lucid dream.
Supplements (Optional)
Certain supplements are believed to increase the chances of lucid dreaming, but they should be used cautiously and with knowledge of potential side effects.
- Galantamine is often used to enhance lucid dreaming, though it should be taken with caution and ideally after consulting a healthcare professional.
- Vitamin B6 may help enhance dream vividness and recall, which could make lucidity more likely.
Stay Calm Once Lucid
Once you realize you’re dreaming, staying calm is crucial. If you get too excited, you might wake up. Try to stabilize the dream by rubbing your hands together, touching objects around you, or spinning to ground yourself in the dream.
With consistent practice of these techniques, your chances of experiencing a lucid dream will improve. Keep in mind that it can take time to master, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen right away.
