Can't keep my dream eyes open

So yesterday I had what is probably my longest lucid dream without waking up to date. However, all the way through I found it really difficult to keep my dream eyes open. In the dream I recalled other people reporting that trying to 'open their eyes' in the dream just woke them up, so I tried to will it instead. I had no success, and things would just fade to black, followed by a false awakening. (which thankfully didn't fool me :D)

Any tips on how to sort this issue out? I was doing awesomely apart from that.. :(

I don't know if this will work for others, but my method involves not relying on eyes. I don't "see", I simply sense my enviroment, after all, it is my mind that has constructed it. Expect slightly less clarity of specifics (for example, courses of bricks on a wall) if you try this method, but in return you gain absolute awareness of your world, kinda like the different between a person reading a book and a deer on the lookout for predators.

When my 'eyes' start closing though the dream starts fading away too? And how will I see if I don't rely on ''seeing''? I'm not too sure what you mean :S

When that happened in one of my LDs I told myself that I could see through my eyelids and imagined what I would see if my eyes were open. Of course I've only done it once so I don't know if it always works.