What is a lucid dream, and how some people try to have one
A lucid dream is one in which the sleeper knows they are dreaming, and researchers say it is most likely during REM sleep.
Everyone dreams, but have you ever realised, in the middle of a dream, that you are dreaming? This experience is called a lucid dream. The person is asleep, yet knows that they are dreaming.
In this state the body is asleep and the dream is running, but some parts of the brain may be more active than in ordinary dreams. Research has found that lucid dreams are more likely during REM, or Rapid Eye Movement, sleep. Dreams in this phase are more likely to be vivid and clear.
The experience can differ from person to person. Some feel they can fly in the dream, go to a place or change the situation, that is, control it. But full control of the dream is not guaranteed. Often the events of a dream do not change as one expects, and the dreamer may also wake suddenly.
To have such dreams, some people use methods such as a "Reality Check". This involves building a habit of checking through the day whether what is happening is real or a dream. Some people also keep a dream diary, follow a regular sleep time and try to stay alert to their dreams before falling asleep. These are different techniques that some people try.
How REM sleep, Reality Check and a dream diary relate to lucid dreaming is still being examined.
However, a lucid dream does not mean gaining some magical control over sleep. Good, deep sleep is what can bring on the experience. If sleep is repeatedly broken or incomplete and a lucid dream is attempted in that state, it can instead lead to tiredness and sleep problems.
Notably, some researchers also use lucid dreaming to understand dreams, memory and the process of sleep. Knowing, while in a dream, that it is a dream is therefore not just an interesting idea but is also considered important for understanding the human brain and sleep.
