Hello. I have three questions which I haven't been able to find much writing on.

I've had many lucid dreams growing up, but I never tried it much. I was concerned that I was somehow tinkering with the brain's natural rejuvenation processes. Then I learned that many people have them all the time, and that they're called lucid dreams. I also learned about WILDs which definitely sound like the holy grail of lucidity.

First, what is a good way to remember to dream-check? I've never had a problem recognizing that I was dreaming, it's always been immediately obvious the second I think about it. The problem is, I rarely remember to check. I've read about many dream-checking techniques, but nothing about how to remember to check in the first place.

Second, what is a good way to control awareness? Recently, as soon as I realize I'm dreaming, I tend to wake up. I think, "Oh I'm dreaming. Which mean I'm lying in bed." And sure enough, there I am lying in bed. Often times, I can go back to the dream, but sometimes I get frustrated with myself for waking up in the first place, then it's difficult to return to sleep. Is it simply a matter of refusing to think about your other half, or are there other tricks? A semi-aware state, a balance between thought and emotion, between will and apathy seems to be the key. Hearing how others have mastered this would help a lot.

Third, what is a good way to reach the sleep paralysis stage? The farthest I've gotten with WILDs is to the flashing-lights / faint random images stage. I'll just lay there relaxed for a long time, and nothing happens but the occasional muscle flutter coupled with random little itches (doesn't seem to make a difference if I ignore the itches or scratch them). Random thoughts may pop up, but I just observe or ignore them. I've even tried ear-plugs, but the sound of the plugs crackling in the ear is worse than room sounds because I'm used to tuning room sounds out. Eventually, I get bored of lying there thinking about nothing and I get up.

Thanks in advance for your advice.