I need help with my WBTB!!

Hey I’ve been lucid dreaming (or trying to) for a while now but this past month I’ve been more motivated than ever.

I like the idea of using the WBTB technique but I have been struggling to get results. It has improved my recall defenilty but I reall want to fall into a lucid when I go back to bed.

I’ve read up on it on the forum and in a book I’m reading. The book says I should stay up for 20 mins and an article on the forum said 1 hour !! And they also vary in the time to set my alarm when I sleep ,one says 6 hrs into sleep but after 6 hours I struggle to get back to sleep.

During my waking time (usually 15-20 mins) I read over a past dream , do a RC , go to the toilet etc. I feel I’m doing everything right but still have no results :confused: .What I’m asking is ,how long should I be awake for , what should I do when I’m awake and how long should I set my alarm into sleep ??

If anyone could give me some tips on what they do during there WBTB I’d really appreciate it ! A few opinions would be good so I could get a few different ideas !

And if your reading now, bang out an oul RC :wink:

As far as how long you stay awake during your WBTB, vary it based on how early you wake. If you struggle to get back to sleep after 6 hours, try setting your alarm for 5, or reduce the time you stay awake. Everyone’s different. Experiment to find what works for you. :smile:

Personally I get the best results after 4+ hours of sleep. Normally I go to the loo. Drink something. If I’m hungry, eat something very small and light. Then I might read one or two entries in my dream journal, preferably a recent lucid dream, focusing on what made me lucid and what happened just before I became lucid. This helps to remind me of recent dream signs.

Alternatively, read a DJ entry where you missed a common dream sign, to remind yourself what to look for.

WBTB is mostly considered a helper technique, i.e. works best coupled with other ones like MILD, WILD, etc. Have you tried coupling it with any other techniques?

Thanks for the reply obfusc8 ,

I’ve only been trying this for a week so I’ll defenilty try to vary the times and hopefully find the time best for me.

I like the idea of reading over a lucid and seeming what made me lucid I’ll be looking forward to trying that, and a dream where I missed a dream sign.

Haven’t tried a MILD or WILD yet! What do you recommend I try ??

I agree that times does vary with everyone. Also keep in mind of how much work your doing while awake. Turning on lights, and doing things for to long can make you fully wake up and you don’t want that.

I do the WBTB with WILD and I’m getting closer to a LD everyday. I’ve been at this method for about a month. I have did a lot of tweaking and its been worth it.
Here is a breakdown of my method using WBTB and WILD.

My WBTB: I wake up ((after 4.5-5 hours of sleep)) but its dark and very dim in my house (for me if its bright, i cant go back to sleep easily). I make some WARM dream tea. Take a few sips while thinking of what to do in my LD. Since I have a mate I lay down on my couch so i’m not disturbed by his moving. I am probably up for about 10-15mintues at most.

WILD: After I lay down and get comfortable, I start counting. Usually when I reach 20 or 30 I can feel SP coming ((HI, The vibrations, etc)).

Im stuck there :peek: because of the excitement.

I’ve learned to experiment with the advice others give since our bodies, schedules, and lives are different :om:

*mediation during the day for 15 minutes has helped me also.

Good luck and sweet dreams :seer:

Cheers ShyPrettyOdd ,

I think your right with what I’m doing ,maybe it’s too much and it’s what keeps me up ! I also have to mess around with times to find maybe 4 hours might work for me.

I have been wanting to try WILD too what do you mean when you say you start counting !? Like literally counting to 30 in your head ? I get the whole mind awake body asleep concept to WILD.

Yes. I count numbers slowly and try to go with the drift. Sometimes I might count like this…
1-i am dreaming
2-i am dreaming etc.

But yes, as soon as I get around number 20 I start to feel sensations everywhere :content: .
Also keep in mind the lighting around your house and on your electronics. Ive read a lot about sleep patterns and sleep rhythm. If our eyes detect too much light, it signals the brain to wake up. I also don’t eat 2-4 hours before sleep, I read digesting food isn’t good for dreaming. Ive come a long way since starting this journey back in July and I am proud of myself for the discipline ((which I still sometimes lack :angry: but this is a process)) This forum is the reason ive gotten so far :smile:

WILD seems to be the easiest way for me even though I am newbie. It seems easy to do AFTER you’ve done the WBTB method. I get so close every night.

Hopefully my ramblings helped :wiske: .
Good luck

I can second what ShyPrettyOdd said… except I thought that counting and repeating a mantra like ‘I am dreaming’ was the MILD technique? Anyways, I’ve had several lucids induced in that exact way.

Well Well Well how much I have learned on this journey ! From a teenage boy in secondary school to now in adolescence in my third year of a Neuroscience degree. I have been on and off with lucid dreaming for almost 5 years. :woo:

Its all about self experimentation in this game and finding out what works best for you. There are no mistakes made only experience gained. 15 minutes !! I now stay awake for 40-50 minutes after a 5-6 hour sleep. This is all thanks to Stephen LaBerge and his study done on “morning naps” (lucidity.com/NL63.RU.Naps.html). Like ShyPrettyOdd I too now perform a WBTB in combination with WILD and am currently having great success. Its now 2018 I have dream journal entries dating back to October 2013. The detail in which I can recall has greatly improved. My last WILD attempt I (my dream body) rolled off my bed for the first time and landed in my room.

Heres to many more experiences.

Congrats dude! :content: