Hi,
a couple of questions:

A while ago, I practiced reality checking and the MILD/WBTB techniques for a month. Then one day, apart from writing in my dream journal I did nothing - no reality checks or techniques - because I just felt worn out. That night I had the most lucid dream I've had to date - I became fully mindful that I was dreaming and this shocked me awake. So I take it that taking a day off from practicing once in a while is beneficial? If anyone else does this, how often?

Also in this dream and a couple of others, I became lucid because a dream character told me that I was dreaming - I asked "Am I dreaming?" out loud and they replied yes. Around that time, a couple of dreams where a DC outright told me I was dreaming - "You are dreaming right now" - but I didn't believe them and so didn't become lucid. I'm curious as to how these situations happened then - Are there any habits/behaviours or events in waking life that could trigger a dream character to tell you that you are dreaming?