Dream work thrives when sleep is balanced. If you find that your sleep is too heavy to remember dreams or too light to stay in them, that can be valuable insight about your body and mind. It’s most important to prioritize a good night’s sleep over dream work, but the following are some things you can do if you notice a shift in sleep quality.

Sleeping Too Heavily

Possible Reasons:

• Sleep deprivation - Heavy sleep can sometimes indicate chronic sleep deprivation. To find out if this is the case, go to bed much earlier than normal for 3 consecutive nights and sleep for 8-10 hours. If your sleep becomes lighter after that, your slow-wave sleep has rebounded.

• Medications - Certain medications (especially those that sedate the body) will cause you to dream less and sleep more heavily. This can include OTC medications like cold & flu drugs, cough syrup and some allergy medications. There are many prescription drugs that impact sleep as well. Ask your doctor if your prescription might be causing heavy sleep.

• Marijuana - People who consume a lot of THC products often report a decrease in dreams. THC has been shown to decrease the quantity and quality of REM sleep, leading to more deep sleep and less dreams. Conversely, taking a break from THC can cause dream rebound, with long, vivid bouts of dreaming as the body catches up on missed REM sleep.

Before Bed:

• Eat heavier meals earlier in the day and keep evening meals light

• Avoid eating less than 3 hours before bed

• Avoid alcohol less than 3 hours before bed

• A deliberate SLIP sleep ritual that emphasizes strong intention setting is key

Bedroom Conditions:

• Sleep with lighter blankets

• Keep the air in the room moving and keep the windows open if possible (especially if the sounds outside your window are natural - wind, rain, birds, etc)

• Sleep with more pillows to keep your head and shoulders elevated

• Place a soft, natural-colored light source above the headboard of your bed (like a battery-powered votive or warm night light). It should be out of your direct line of sight, but enough to lift your wakefulness through the night.

Best Lucid Dream Technique:

• Wake-Back-To-Bed (WBTB) - Heavy sleep occurs mostly in the first half of the night, so instead of fighting it, sleep deeply for 4.5 - 6 hours and then do the WBTB method (with MILD for extra oomph!)

Sleeping Too Lightly

Possible Reasons:

• Physical Restlessness - With sedentary lifestyles and desk-bound jobs, we often don’t get enough physical activity in the day. The unused energy circulates in the body making us feel restless, anxious, and ruminative. Getting “tuckered out” before sleep isn’t just for puppies and toddlers!

• Health Conditions - Some conditions (like Grave’s Disease, Hyperthyroidism, Hypertension, ADHD, anxiety, etc) cause excess energy in the body-mind. Dealing with the root causes will help sleep quality to find a natural balance.

• Medications & Drug Use - Certain medications, drugs, and supplements activate the nervous system and cause sleep to become light and restless, or even cause insomnia. This includes caffeine and nicotine, over-the-counter drugs like nasal decongestants and prescription drugs kike corticosteroids, Adderal, and nicotine replacement therapies. Ask your doctor if your prescription might be causing a loss in sleep quality.

Before Bed:

• Get physical exercise early in the day

• Avoid caffeine or stimulants after noon

• Consider trying supplements like Melatonin or Valerian Root before bed

• Reduce electric light in the evening

• Avoid blue-wavelength light 2 hours before bed

• A relaxing SLIP sleep ritual that emphasizes full body-mind relaxation is key (light sleepers can benefit from lengthy pre-sleep rituals)

Bedroom Conditions:

• Sleep with heavier blankets in a cooler room (burrito-up in a cozy duvet!)

• Sleep with an eye mask to minimize any ambient light

• Some evidence suggests side sleeping may help

Best Lucid Dream Technique:

• Yoga Nidra

• MILD - Do this technique after spontaneous pre-dawn awakenings (don’t deliberately wake yourself) and stay awake for no more than 15 minutes