When it fades to darkness is when you need to realize that in a dream, darkness is the same as light. It doesn't mean that you are waking up. Going "into the darkness" is a good way to teleport. As soon as it starts getting dark think about how you are going to appear somewhere else. Stabilizing is useful, but expectation plays a huge part. The more you expect it to fade away and you to wake up, the higher the odds. So if something happens a few times in a row it is really hard not to expect it. You can also use mantras or things like this to change your expectations. Good luck.