reality checks?

hi all

im new to this so bear with me!

iv just started to keep a dream diary, i feel as though i should be an ideal candidate for lucid dreaming. i often have multiple dreams every time i sleep and can remember them vividly for days. just writing them down has made me realise how many i actually have...where id assumed it was 2 or 3 a night i find i have 6-7!

anyway, im not sure about reality checks...

how long should i spend doing them? everywhere i find lists of possible checks theres at least 10, do i stop roughly every hour and go through them all!?

are there certain ones i should always do?

does it have to be a set time (like an alarm to remind me) or can i use a note on my hand to set off randomly timed checks?

how long do i do each check for?

its all a bit confusing :(

Hm, most RCs are short, you just check it while questioning whether or not you are awake and done. It is to increase general awareness.
There is also some who imagine doing their RC and it failing (ie, being able to breathe) so that it will work like that in a dream.
I do my RC for extended periods of time, though gravity RC allows you to do daily stuff and still do the RC without interrupting your activities.

thanks...so how often would you do an RC? and how many checks would you do each time?

I like to do 1, most 5, but I maintain it for the whole day/several hours.
As I said, most RCs should be short (Save for awareness, gravity and a few others), like, 1min long at most. It is recommended to do at least 2 so that if one fails, the other one won't, the one that tends to fail the least and is commen would be nose-pinch.

"Pinch your nose closed and keep breathing. Try not to think about your breathing while doing it, just leave your usual & automatic, breathing to do its work. If you can breathe whilst pinching your nose, you're dreaming."

im assuming it means with my mouth closed?

also, i dont see telephones mentioned much on the lists. i know i can never seem to use a phone im my dreams and always have a mobile with me IRL so could i try typing a phone number as a RC?

so every hour or so i will:

hold my breath
type a phone number
read something
push against something
try a light switch

does that sound right?

Yup, sounds right.
Also, checking if you have your mobile in the first place, can be another RC.

thanks for your help, i'll give it a go :)

if all else fails i think it will be pretty cool to keep a dream diary, wish id started one years ago!