24 Feb How to Have Sexual Dreams
Have you ever woken up from a sex dream, the details slipping from your mind, and wished you could fall right back into it for that satisfying conclusion your alarm clock distracted you from? Luckily, there are scientifically-supported practices to help bring your dreams to life.
You may have heard of lucid dreaming, or the ability to remain conscious while in a dream. This is not science fiction, but a legitimate method of mental mastery taught in classes. It is conservatively estimated that 55% of people have experienced at least one lucid dream, and lucid dreaming has been a known phenomenon since early Buddhism and Aristotle.
More recently, psychologists have found a practical use for lucid dreams as sleep therapy. One of the best ways to train yourself to lucid dream is to keep a dream journal, recording the details of your dream by hand as soon as you wake up. These details may reveal patterns that will increase your self-awareness regarding dreams, and potentially provide psychological insights.
Other benefits include addressing phobias, nightmares, and anxiety; boosting creativity; and improving motor skills. Sex dreams in particular are great at reducing anxiety and encouraging confidence–after all, there is no safer place to explore your deepest fantasies than in your own mind. Your dreams can cause you to be as physically and emotionally satisfied as you would have been with a real-life experience (yes, you can orgasm in your sleep!).
Actively participating in your sex dreams may take some practice. Besides a dream journal, experts suggest maintaining a healthy sleep environment: a bedtime routine in a cool, dark room without screens, alcohol, or caffeine. You can also perform reality checks throughout the day, such as by asking yourself, “am I dreaming right now?” and giving good reasons for why you are not. These actions prime your mind for recognizing when you are dreaming.
Perhaps the most effective method for taking control of sexual dreams is audio erotica. By listening to a sexy audiobook before bed, you ensure sexual storytelling is the last thing your waking brain encounters and is likely to mimic. Find great audio erotica options by browsing our site. If nothing else, there is always the obvious method: masturbating right before bed.
A more spiritual option is the MILD (mnemonic induction of lucid dreams) technique, where you recall a surreal aspect of a recent dream–or “dream sign,” such as the ability to fly–with the intent of using it as a trigger to become lucid when you see it in your next dream. Lastly, those who play video games are accustomed to controlling near-reality, dreamlike environments. Finding some sexy online games could be a fun way to prep your mind for a sex dream.
There are a few controversial approaches, as well. The WILD (wake-induced lucid dreaming) technique can help you fall asleep consciously–try focusing on relaxing mental imagery like a dancing candle flame–but dissociative people may experience sleep paralysis. The WBTB (wake back to bed) method of setting alarms to artificially prolong your REM cycle is similarly disruptive to healthy sleep. If you missed your chance this time, there’s always tomorrow night.
Lucid dreaming is a great method to take control of your life both night and day, and I think we can all agree that more sex dreams is a good thing. It might not happen the first night you try, but the steamy, dreamy payoff is worth it!