In the dreams I had in my youth I would realise I was dreaming during nightmares and wake up deliberately by placing my fingers in my (strangly already open) eyes and opening them. These actions have , one night, also lead to 3 false awakenings, each after which I soon Realised I wasn't ACTUALLY awake and still dreaming. Too bad I haven't had such wild dreams since. But I'm trying to get back into it.