Lucid dreaming is when you are dreaming, and you become aware of it. It occurs during the REM stage of the sleep cycle.
Lucid dreaming has potential benefits like reducing the number of nightmares, improving problem solving and creative skills, treating phobias, refining motor skills and even helping with rehabilitation after physical trauma.
The average person spends about six years of their lives dreaming and researchers believe that if lucid dreaming can be induced and if dreams can be controlled, then perhaps dreamtime can be used more productively.
This may happen sooner than you think.
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Researchers from the University of Adelaide found that taking Vitamin B6 can help people recall their dreams.
This study that was conducted for the first time on a large diverse group to investigate the effects of vitamin B6 and B vitamins on dreams,.
A randomised double-blind placebo- controlled study included 100 participants from across Australia.
Participants ingested 240 mg of vitamin B6 before bed for five consecutive days.
The researchers also included a B complex preparation and a placebo which was given to the participants.
Participants were also given log books containing questions that relate to their dreams and sleep quality. They recorded the specifics of their dreams if they remembered it and also provided brief titles for each dream.
The researchers found that taking vitamin B6 significantly increased the amount of dream content that participants recalled.
Vitamin B6 did not affect dream vividness, bizarreness, or colour, nor did it significantly affect other sleep-related variables.
However, taking a B complex significantly lowered self-rated sleep quality in participants in the B-complex group. They also reported higher levels of tiredness on waking.
Vitamin B6 is naturally found in various foods, including whole grain cereals, legumes, fruits (such as banana and avocado), vegetables (such as spinach and potato), milk, cheese, eggs, red meat, liver, and fish.
Researchers believe further investigation is needed to know whether the effects of vitamin B6 vary according to how much is already obtained from diet. If these effects only work on people with low dietary intake then taking supplements may diminish this effect over time.
To achieve a lucid dream state, we need to recall our dreams regularly and it seems that vitamin B6 might be the answer.
Source: Perceptual and Motor Skills
