Nap sleep vs. Night sleep

[mEViO]

Was just wondering how come loads of people say they experience LD's (primarily WILDs) really easily when they nap in the afternoon. I was under the impression that you had to sleep for a few hours to get into the REM period quickly. Is it something about sleeping during the day that just makes it easier?

[Vinje]

Hi there, I don't know too much about lucid dreaming. But after what I know, REM sleep which is very active in the awakening fase or your sleep might come in the afternoon, especially if you didn't sleep fully the night before. Why would you otherwise sleep in the afternoon then? So lets say you sleep for about 5 hours the night before, and do some afternoon napping, then you will be sleeping under REM, also because your body is sort of rested, it doesnt need too long to rest it self fully out, so it would probably stay in a normal sleep and REM fase during that nap, not the heavy sleep-fase which you have at night, which really rests the body. If you sleep for 5 hours, you get enough of that, and soft/normal sleep and REM sleep which also rests the body in a normal way, though awakening will occur in the afternoon. This probably sounds weird, I'm weak on explaining. This must be the only conclusion from my side, hope it helps.

[nina]

I don't listen all that "you have to sleep a certain amount of hours to get into REM" crap. I seem to be able to dream anytime, anywhere. When I nap during the day it usually takes a good hour before I become lucid. But I have taken naps and had lucids in the car and I was only asleep for about 20 minutes or so. There are different levels of REM and alot about sleep that people still don't seem to understand. So don't believe everything you hear.

[Amethyst Star]

I've heard it said that you dream whenever you're alseep. It's during REM, though, that you are the closest to awakening/consciousness and therefore are more likely to recall your dreams at that time. During naps, often times you are sleeping lightly because you are aware that you can only sleep for a certain relatively short amount of time and are not sleeping as deeply as when you lie down at night. I hope that helped. -Amé

[starflames]

The majority of my LDs have come when I sleep an X amount of time, then wake up briefly and then go back to sleep. I've had quite a few in the daytime when I get up in the morn briefly for what ever reason and then go back to sleep. Whether this is then considered a nap is debatable. I see it as a continuation of my sleep after a brief interruption. Once I get up a little later in the morn- I seldom nap. But give me an LD at anytime day or night, nap sleep or night sleep, and I'll take it. Starflames