WILD method question

Hey. I'd like to start this thread by saying that I' new to this forum, I'm a bit confused. Not sure if this is the correct place to post, if so, please excuse me.

Okay so Im quite new to lucid dreaming, Ive only been lucid once but for a really short time. Im very interested on the WILD method, and got a couple of questions:

-Do I have to close my eyes or I can keep them open?
-Can I swallow, move eyes or cough while I'm falling asleep consciously, without interrupting the process?
-How do I actually enter the dream? Is it natural, or I need to do something?
-Do I HAVE to sleep 5 hours before trying, or it will just make it easier? I know you enter a longer REM cycle faster, but is it a MUST?

Thanks for your patience!

Hey, welcome to DV :)

-You can have your eyes open OR closed, but many people close them because a) it's easier to fall asleep (as in into a dream) that way and b) so that the visual hallucinations aren't too real/scary.

- Keep it to a minimum. If you absolutely have to do it, don't make a big deal out of it. Just do it passively and get it over with instead of lying for ages wondering whether you should or not.

- Hmmm... In the few WILDs I've done, I just sort of ended up in a dream, although people do things differently. I've heard that some people just roll out of their bodies or smash through a black void into a dream. I guess it's something that you'll find out when it happens.

- It's not essential, but it makes everything a HELL of a lot easier. It's very, very rare to find someone who can WILD regularly before they sleep. You'll probably try it anyway, I think every newbie does :P If it doesn't work out for you you'll just have to do it during a WBTB.

I hope I cleared things up for you, good luck! :D