Once you finally experience a Lucid Dream, there’s little you can do but want more. It’s an adventure that you can have every night. Let’s go over the two main ways you can increase your chances of having Lucid Dreams more often.

1. Sleep hygiene

One of the most important things when it comes to Lucid Dreaming is discipline and dedication. And channeling that energy into tending to one’s sleep hygiene is the most effective way to increase your chances of Lucid Dreaming!

So, how does one do that? Let’s get over the steps.

Sleeping the right amount. As you may already know, you’re going through several sleep cycles at night. One usually lasts 90 minutes, and the last part of each is the REM stage. The REM stage tends to get longer as you progress through the night. And that’s when dreaming usually occurs. It’s also one of the reasons why you’re having most of your dreams in the morning. Sleeping for at least 6 hours every night greatly extends your time in the REM stage. Sleeping for at least 7.5 hours is even better – the REM stage tends to increase dramatically with every sleep cycle.

Managing your sleep schedule. Sleeping the right amount isn’t enough. You should also go to bed and wake up in the morning at the same time. Not only will it make you more disciplined, but it will also significantly improve your sleep quality. And that’s very important for dreams – especially lucid ones.

No snacks and drinks before bed. If you wish to sleep well and have many more (lucid) dreams, you should keep away from any food, caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol at least two hours before bedtime. These substances greatly diminish both the quality of your sleep.

Keep the bed to sleep only. On lazy days, it’s very tempting to stay in bed longer than usual. However, doing that associates your bedroom with other activities rather than sleeping. Not only does it increase the time it takes for you to fall asleep, but it also makes it much harder for you to get out of bed in the morning. In addition to tiredness, this behavior greatly diminishes your chances of having quality dream time.

2. Reality checks and dream diary

Once you get your sleep hygiene in check, the next step is attending to daily dream-related routines.

Dream diary. Did you know that you forget more than 90 % of your dreams just a few minutes after waking up? Keeping a dream diary and writing in it every morning allows you to remember most of your dreams. It gives a great reference point to recognize your dreams when you have them.

Reality checks. These are the bread and butter of Lucid Dreaming. Performing as many reality checks as possible greatly improves your chances of doing one inside a dream, transforming it into a lucid one. Make sure to check the reality around you as much as possible.

So, there you have it. If you tend to the things you’ve read in this article, the chances of having a Lucid Dream will improve dramatically.

Good luck, dreamer!