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When I was young I could give myself a time to wake up and wake up at that time. As I've gotten older I've lost the ability. But I would use it to get up 30 m

When I was young I could give myself a time to wake up and wake up at that time. As I've gotten older I've lost the ability. But I would use it to get up 30 minutes early to play NES before school. My mother would make me go to bed at a specific time, but if I was working on a particularly hard spot in a game I'd tell myself to get up 30 minutes earlier and spend that time playing. I also used to lucid dream very frequently. I'd recognize it as lucid dreaming and actually start manipulating the dream. What's always been interesting to me is that dreams have rules to them, so even manipulating them there are limits. Sometimes I could fly freely, sometimes I could barely get off the ground. Also, past a certain point in my life I completely stopped having nightmares. A nightmare has a "feel" to it. Even if it starts off pleasant I recognize that feel and simply step out of it. --- So, we may not have an explanation for, but it absolutely happens.

b3morales 4y ago
I have all three of these experiences/abilities as well. And similarly, I think that as I get older my wake up timing is not functioning so well as it did. Possibly because my life changed so that I didn't really need it for many years. But now when I try, I tend to wake up two or three times, the first well before my intended target. And the later sleep is notably shallower and less restful.
Arrath 4y ago
I do that even now, rather than sleeping to the last minute and struggling to get ready and out the door in time, I'll allow myself time to wake up and get going by: poking at the game du jour (Currently STALKER Gamma and Dwarf Fortress) for a half hour or so while drinking coffee, a short workout, and a shower. Then I'm off. No grogginess, no dragging ass, no rush. As opposed to my old morning past time of doomscrolling, I much prefer this. Plus, if the GF and I had a rowdy night out, I can forego all of the above and sleep in for another hour or so. All that said, I do often wake up up to 10 minutes before my alarm actually goes off, and I prefer waking naturally than to the noise of my alarm.

b3morales 4y ago

I have all three of these experiences/abilities as well. And similarly, I think that as I get older my wake up timing is not functioning so well as it did. Possibly because my life changed so that I didn't really need it for many years. But now when I try, I tend to wake up two or three times, the first well before my intended target. And the later sleep is notably shallower and less restful.

Arrath 4y ago

I do that even now, rather than sleeping to the last minute and struggling to get ready and out the door in time, I'll allow myself time to wake up and get going by: poking at the game du jour (Currently STALKER Gamma and Dwarf Fortress) for a half hour or so while drinking coffee, a short workout, and a shower. Then I'm off. No grogginess, no dragging ass, no rush. As opposed to my old morning past time of doomscrolling, I much prefer this. Plus, if the GF and I had a rowdy night out, I can forego all of the above and sleep in for another hour or so. All that said, I do often wake up up to 10 minutes before my alarm actually goes off, and I prefer waking naturally than to the noise of my alarm.