[pagliara]

That's fascinating. Kind of makes me want to practice lucid dreaming now. Makes a lot of sense though, with regards to how rested you felt after giving up lucid dreaming. Writing complex algorithms in your dreams does not sound restful.

[hitchhiker999]

We know very very little about what the mind is capable of, or which parts of it require the sleep process, or even how the sleep process is affected by a lucid dream state. We just don't know, my experience is completely different (than the OPs).

That person's experience could be a result of pre-conceived notions about 'effort vs reward', or any other number of intersecting belief systems. Who knows?

It is unique to everyone, and can be learnt in weeks or years depending on who you are (unless you are comfortable inducing it with gamma waves)

Do not rely on anecdotal evidence from others, only trust your own experience in matters that relate to the inner workings of your life. Find out for yourself if it's useful or not.

... it's, at the very least, an interesting adventure.