Imagery Training in REM Sleep and Lucid Dreaming and the Optimisation of Motor Memory Consolidation in Athletes: A Narrative Review
Quality in Sport June 20, 2026 Arkadiusz Adam Psiuk
Motor learning in sports benefits from both physical practice and sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Waking motor imagery engages brain networks similar to actual movement, while slow-wave sleep and REM sleep support procedural memory through neural replay. Lucid dreaming—awareness during sleep—may allow mental rehearsal that partially reactivates prefrontal regions and shows physiological correlates of dreamed movement. Preliminary evidence suggests lucid dream practice can improve waking performance comparably to waking mental practice. It offers a low-physical-load tool for rehabilitation, tapering, and pre-competition stress management, though low lucid dream frequency, variable induction reliability, and few controlled trials in elite athletes call for cautious use.