Lucid Dream (LD) is a phenomenon occurring at the end of REM sleep and during which one is aware that one is dreaming. It is possible thanks to the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex reinforced by other cortical areas of the brain. As previous studies show, it is much more common among children and adolescents than among adults, as prevalence of LD relate to a degree of maturity of the CNS.

The study was designed to assess incidence of lucid dreaming among youth and compare it with the prevalence in general population.

A questionnaire about sleep hygiene, distinguishing also between past and present experiences of lucid dreaming, has been developed. It was distributed both in paper version and on-line. IP control has been introduced for the virtual participants. Timeline for material gathering covered 01/01-15/03/2014.

Study confirmed that age has a significant role on lucid dreams appearance. Participants of the study with bad sleep hygiene (irregular time of sleeping, watching TV before going to sleep, hard to digest dinners) less frequently experienced lucid dreams. Women seems to be more interested in LD’s developing techniques, however there is a small knowledge about positive aspects of lucid dreaming among Poles.

Lack of knowledge about the phenomenon of lucid dreaming among the population may affect the results of future studies in this field.