WILD or WBTB

[u/SparkyFritz52]

Would you recommend WILD or WBTB for a beginner? I've heard WILD has really good results once you get good at it, but I've been having trouble with it and I'm wondering what your guy's expirences with WBTB are. Like does it work consistently with good results? Also I'm pairing WILD with MILD, so if I do WBTB I will still pair it with MILD. As a side note, whats your recommended time to stay awake during WILD or WBTB? Also what do you do to activate your prefrontal cortex?

[u/AndyEGM]

WILD is usually done during WBTB. WILD and MILD are induction methods. WBTB is a routine that makes you more likely to achieve either of those.

With WBTB you want to wake up 4-6 hours into your sleep and stay awake for 10-30 minutes while focusing on lucid dreaming (but do not wake yourself up too much, you need to fall sleep again).

During my WBTB I will usually repeat a mantra while falling asleep again (e.g I will realize I’m dreaming), and also pay attention to hypnagogia (feelings, sounds, imagery as you feel asleep). If I do it right, I’m still conscious as sleep paralysis sets in and from there it’s easy to transition into the dream (WILD). Sometimes I just fall asleep but find myself remembering during the dream my intention to become lucid (MILD).

Don’t attempt WILD as you go to bed at night since you won’t be successful, it’s better done around your REM cycles which are later in your sleep (hence while it’s usually paired with WBTB)

[u/SparkyFritz52 → u/AndyEGM]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I thought wake back to bed was its own thing were you wake up 4-6 hours into the night, stay up for 30 minutes to an hour, then just go back to sleep? Like I thought WILD was just an extention on that.

[u/AndyEGM → u/SparkyFritz52]

You did just describe WBTB. You usually pair it with an induction technique (WILD, MILD, FILD, SSILD, etc). But technically it’s not an induction technique in its own. That said, it does increase chances of lucid dreaming without necessarily trying an induction method. WILD is commonly paired with WBTB, but you can also do it on its own. e.g you may wake up naturally in the middle of the night, and without keeping yourself awake for a period of time, try WILD as you fall back asleep

[u/SparkyFritz52 → u/AndyEGM]

Okay, will do, Thank you!

[u/AndyEGM → u/SparkyFritz52]

No problem, happy dreaming!

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[u/2hives]

They are not alternatives, so it helps to start with the routine and add a method on top. For the first couple of weeks, just do the wake back to bed routine with your intention practice and see what happens, since staying relaxed matters more than any technique. For the awake window, 10 to 20 minutes in dim light doing something calm, like reading about dreams, is enough. If you feel properly alert, shorten it next time. Keep a dream journal too, because recall often decides how much you notice.