Maybe you're not doing anything wrong. Sometimes trying too hard can be detrimental and can cause you stress, which will kill recall and often just give you a fitful night's sleep. But the fact that you managed an LD is a good sign and if you keep practicing then you should be able to have more of them more frequently.

Don't get out of the practice of doing reality checks. Also, keep track of your improvements. I'm betting that of if you've been working that hard then you're bound to have had some dreams where you question what's going on, even if you may not necessarily do something about it. Take it as progress! Just keep at it.

-Amé