Greg, it sounds like you are still trying too hard. I've been LDing since November and had the same sleeping problems as you for the first two months. Relax and don't give up. Rather than becoming frustrated, tell yourself that you know it will happen eventually and really mean it!

About not getting back to sleep, most of the info that you will read says that you should stay up for 30-60 minutes when doing WBTB. I have no doubt that research proves that works the best, however in my case, if I stayed awake for more than 10 minutes, I usually couldn't get back to sleep....and you're supposed to wake up completely before going back to bed!

You can experiment with the amount of time that you stay up. Right now, I usually go to bed at 11:30-12am and wake up at 5am. I get up and use the bathroom, get a drink of water, and then turn on the TV for 10-15 minutes. I then go back to bed and do the MILD or WILD techniques. Don't make the same mistake that I did...I used to chant the mantras like there was no tomorrow. It works better and lets you fall asleep more easily if you quietly and slowly repeat your mantras or affirmations and think of nothing else. My body must have gotten accustomed to this because I can almost always get back to sleep now. I average about 3 LD's per month using this technique and had 7 in February when I started having WILD's.

Being a light sleeper, I've found that WILD's are easier for me than DILD's(Dream Induced Lucid Dream). I've gone from being wide awake in bed doing the WILD techniques...to realizing that I'm dreaming and lucid in bed... literally in a heartbeat. If I were you, though, I would try to have a DILD first using WBTB and MILD. It's easier than a WILD...methods for inducing a WILD can be vague. WILD's can also be unsettling for someone not used to LDing....sleep paralysis, strange sounds, vibrations, and Out of Body Experiences. OBE's are great but unnerving if you're not ready for them.

Hope this helps!

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