Help for a newbie

[TJC28]

Hi All,

In the past couple months I have sporadically started having lucid dreams. My biggest problem is I dream that I woke up, although I am still sleeping. This repeats itself a number of times until I actually do wake up. Sometimes in my dreams I get nervous and start breathing heavily even though I don't want to. Other times I go from dream to dream and feel like my dreams are on "repeat." I'm used to how it was before this all started, when I'd go to sleep, have a maybe five second dream, then wake up. I also have been dealing with sleep paralysis lately (where I see my room and can't move even though I feel awake). But, with the sleep paralysis, I learned to wiggle my big toe(s), and that usually helps me wake up sooner.

At times I feel like I'm in a Freddy Krueger movie, since I'm afraid to go to sleep, lol. The biggest thing that freaks me out is when I try to wake up and I keep dreaming that I'm waking up, but I'm not. Should I try to use reverse psychology on it and say "I'm not ready to wake up, I want to sleep more!" Or can I say to myself, "Big deal, I'm still sleeping. Eventually I'll wake up."

Any advice for a newbie to this would be helpful!

[deepakkumaar97]

If you are aware you are dreaming then waking up i s the most easy part.
You just think of waking up and you're up, that's what I do, but if this doesn't work simply turn around the dream and imagine you are on the top of a building or something and simply jump off it.

Warning: Make sure it is a dream.

Even if this doesn't work, simply try to watch the whole scenery around you and repeat "this is a dream"
this will make you very conscious and would wake you up.
(It is not possible to be in a dream when you are fully conscious)

[TJC28]

Ok, thanks for the advice! I'l give that a try.

[Sander]

Even if this doesn't work, simply try to watch the whole scenery around you and repeat "this is a dream" this will make you very conscious and would wake you up.
(It is not possible to be in a dream when you are fully conscious)

wait... aren't we supposed to do that if we want to enhance lucidity? :s you know, reminding yourself that you're dreaming, so that you don't lose lucidity...?

[deepakkumaar97]

Even if this doesn't work, simply try to watch the whole scenery around you and repeat "this is a dream" this will make you very conscious and would wake you up.
(It is not possible to be in a dream when you are fully conscious)

wait... aren't we supposed to do that if we want to enhance lucidity? :s you know, reminding yourself that you're dreaming, so that you don't lose lucidity...?

You are right but being over conscious wakes you up as our conscious mind can't bear too many illogical things happening so that would wake you up.

[taniaaust1]

I really dislike false awakenings too.. they are very annoying if one is doing the same morning things over and over again each time as you truely believe you've woken up.

Best thing to do is to do quite a few reality checks when you wake up.. to try to work out if you are actually awake or not. If you have too.. spend a few minutes doing reality checks. Then if you find out you are still dreaming.. you can have some fun LD time and go and do whatever you wish.

I used to have to wiggle my toe too to come out of sleep paralyses.

[taniaaust1]

Even if this doesn't work, simply try to watch the whole scenery around you and repeat "this is a dream" this will make you very conscious and would wake you up.
(It is not possible to be in a dream when you are fully conscious)

wait... aren't we supposed to do that if we want to enhance lucidity? :s you know, reminding yourself that you're dreaming, so that you don't lose lucidity...?

You are right but being over conscious wakes you up as our conscious mind can't bear too many illogical things happening so that would wake you up.

That isnt always the case.. Many of us are very conscious.. as conscious as waking life.. yet still in LDs. (IF Im doing LD from a sleep state.. I often become 100% conscious when I realise Im LDing and I dont usually drop out then. I can use my brain all I like and I know Im dreaming the whole time without waking me up).

[TJC28]

I really dislike false awakenings too.. they are very annoying if one is doing the same morning things over and over again each time as you truly believe you've woken up.

Best thing to do is to do quite a few reality checks when you wake up.. to try to work out if you are actually awake or not. If you have too.. spend a few minutes doing reality checks. Then if you find out you are still dreaming.. you can have some fun LD time and go and do whatever you wish.

I used to have to wiggle my toe too to come out of sleep paralyses.

Thanks, I'll try what you suggested if I get those "false start" dreams again. I've told myself to relax and not be in such a rush to wake up. I'm glad you can relate to issues with sleep paralysis, I was worried no one could relate!

[taniaaust1]

Id think lots of people here would be able to relate to sleep paralyses. It isnt at all uncommon.

[Sander]

Id think lots of people here would be able to relate to sleep paralyses. It isnt at all uncommon.

i didn't... i never heard of it before i learned about LDs