Every hour, eh?

Well, as long as it works for you there's nothing wrong with that effort. You might find greater luck only beeping in on your later dreams, say after five hours of sleep.

Meditating is a great way to relax and may increase awareness though you need not meditate to do this. Paying attention to your surroundings daily can achieve this.

Try reading King Yoshi's Turorial on All Day Awareness: http://www.dreamviews.com/f49/all-da...gyoshi-113253/

The sound you use for audio cues matters not as long as you recognize it and get results.