Thank you, that seems to be some sound advice. While not usually lucid, I have noticed that I have my most vivid and remember-able dreams on nights where I wake briefly (usually around 3am-3:45am). So last night I set my alarm for 3 am and then went back to sleep. Turns out it did wonders for my dream recall, I was able to remember even the very minuscule details of my dream, such as temperature or weather, in addition to the important ones such as the plot. As for the whole falling asleep too soon thing, I think I'll try starting my attempts about 30min earlier. It's certainly worth a shot.

Thanks a bunch.