I was wondering if taking sedatives to help me sleep so that i can practice would affect my mind in a negative way, and not allowing me to have lucid dreams?
It depends on what kind of Sedatives you’re going to use. I heard that melanonin is a perfect one to assist you to fall asleep. It’s for deep sleep, but perhaps you can dream easier with that. I’m not too sure.
I think Jeff will have a better advice on this. 
Well thanks, I actually think my mom uses that. So Ill try it and see. Thanks for the reply!
Most sedatives but not all reduce rem sleep in the total amount of sleeptime!
Melatonin increases indeed rem sleep because that compensates the greater amount of deep sleep as result of the melatonin.
But you can ask your docter, also the net, there is sleep medicatio that doenst lower rem percentage in total sleep time…but most do level down that rem percentage of the total sleep time.
The same for lucid dreaming…many will lower the chance of a ld…but i wouldnt say all. If i had to take them…then I would choose those that dont lower the rem percentage of total sleeptime.
Jeff
Ah that’s what I thought so. I heard that some sleep pills can completely destroy your REM cycle; thus, reducing your chance to become lucid. Also some sleep pills (unnatural) can be dependence/addictive if you’re not careful. I think melatonin is the best opinion personally because it’s further natural and also it has no side effects unlikely other sleep pills that leaves you sleepy in the morning with maybe reduced dream acitivities or recall.
You know what I’m saying?
By the way, I agree completely with Jeff about this. Reduced REM activities aren’t good. 
Quote —> Also some sleep pills (unnatural) can be dependence/addictive if you’re not careful
Disclaimer: Yes, thats true, but don’t think that just becasue somethings natural it can’t become addictive or hurt you. Best to check with your doctor just in case 
I am going to hop on the bandwagon and say melatonin is, imo, the best route if you want to take something that will make you sleep. Sleeping pills, in my experience, make it seem like from the moment my head hits the pillow to the moment my alarm clock goes off is about 30 seconds, where in reality it’s about 8 hours, with no dreams.
ChicoRaton,
I agree with you. I hate that feeling when the moment I hit my pillow… within 30 second I have to wake up feeling groggy and thinking that time is lying to me again. It leaves me in a grumpy mood. I rather to sleep naturally. Perhaps someday I’ll try melatonin out since I have some problems falling asleep lately and it seems to be a good medicine to try out.
Anyways, please let me know how well melatonin works with you… of course I hear about it from Jeff, etc. but I want to see how other people react to it. I’m curious. Not one experiment equals a constant result. You know.
Anyways, sweet melaninon dreams!
Thanks for all the info, I really appreciate it!
Benzodiazepides(Valium, Tamazepam, Xanax etc) are bad for dreaming. I don’t have a scientific explanation for this, but I’ve taken alot of these and I’ve only had one dream on them ever and that was when I had quite a high tolerance. It wasn’t a LD, actually I think it was something like a wolf was eating my guts out while I was alive 
I’m not sure about barbiturates but they’re less common now so I assume you’re not talking about them. It’s best to go natural with tryptophan or melatonin 