1) I like my reality checks to be an opportunity to pause and reflect on myself and my surroundings. I think the most important thing is to really become aware. Try to focus on yourself, your body, your position in space, and how you are influencing the world around you. If you are working on ADA, you are doing it correctly.

2) Dreams are really unpredictable. Even the most lucid of dreams are still somewhat random. Our minds connect concepts in seemingly illogical ways. You never really know what to expect. I think your attitude and general state of mind are more important than the specific dream content. Try to stay positive, and the dream will reciprocate.

3) REM rebound is your friend Dreams get very cool when you miss a night of sleep. Try to WILD during a nap, try a WBTB tomorrow night. I have a lot of success with mid-morning naps, and early evening naps, somewhere around 10am, or 7pm.

4) If you have never had problems with sleep paralysis before, don't worry about it now. Some people are more prone to it than others. I get it often, whether I intentionally lucid dream, or not. Many prolific lucid dreamers never experience it, and never will. The best you can do is be prepared, and don't be afraid of it. If it happens, you know what it is, and you know how to turn it to your advantage. Enjoy it as another type of dream.