CAT: Cycle Adjustment Technique

People who snore always fall asleep first.

~Author unknown

The Cycle Adjustment Technique, or CAT, is another effective lucid dreaming technique. It involves adjusting your sleep cycles to raise your awareness during the early morning sleep phases. When used properly, it can generate up to four lucid dreams per week!

This lucid dreaming exercise was created by Daniel Love, who is an expert lucid dreamer from the UK. He is writing a book about his lucid dream adventures, with more information on his methods for waking up in dreams.

In an experiment, CAT produced lucid dreams in 8 out of 10 students. They reported an average of two lucid dreams in the first two weeks. Over time, this method can produce up to four lucid dreams a week.

The Cycle Adjustment Technique

Set your alarm clock to 90 minutes before your normal wake-up time. Do this for one week to reset your body clock. CAT will not give you any lucid dreams in the first week.

From day 8, alternate your wake-up time on a daily basis. Normal, early, normal, early, and so on.

When you go to bed, set the intention to awake at the earlier time and do lots of reality checks. Even if you know you are waking up at the later time, prepare for an early start.

On normal days, your body will expect you to get up early. So your mind will already be stimulated and more likely to become conscious while you are still dreaming. This dramatically improves your chances of having lucid dreams every other day.

As you can see, the cycle adjustment technique is pretty simple. There are no memory cues, visualizations or other mental tricks to practice. The hardest part is getting up early and being strict about it! You absolutely must stick to the schedule or you are unlikely to have any lucid dreams.

Cycle Adjustment Technique: FAQ

What time should I go to bed while practicing CAT?

Go to bed at the same time every night. This is all about programming your body clock, which in turn adjusts its own timer for releasing bodily chemicals throughout the day. The more rigid you are about going to bed and waking up at the set times, the more likely it is to induce lucid dreams.

Cycle Adjustment Technique for Lucid Dreams What should I do when I wake up early?

Do whatever you like - but don't go back to bed! You should also perform reality checks during the next 90 minutes as often as possible. Then go about your day as normal. Doing more reality checks throughout the day will help, but is not critical.

What if I wake up early on a normal day?

If you naturally wake up early when you should be sleeping in, just lie still and remind yourself to do lots of reality checks the next time you are dreaming. Practice the MILD or WILD lucid dreaming techniques while listening to binaural beats to re-enter the dreamstate.

Can I ever sleep in late?

Yes, but only on a normal waking day. And try to keep it to a minimum so that you don't mess up your newly optimized sleep cycle.

How long should I practice CAT?

If CAT generates regular lucid dreams, you can keep using the cycle adjustment technique for as long as you like. Daniel Love recommends that you repeat step one (waking up 90 minutes early every day for a week) to refresh the cycle every few months.

Try it yourself! You could have lucid dreams after just seven days with this very simple lucid dreaming technique.

Lucid Dreaming Techniques
Keeping a Dream Journal
Reality Checks
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams - MILD
Wake Initiated Lucid Dreams - WILD
CAT
Meditation
Self-Hypnosis