Hey lhathaw1 and welcome to DV As soon as you're aware that you're in a dream, then you're lucid.

Originally posted by Tsen
You're very close to a NILD (Nightmare Induced Lucid Dream). A lot of people have them, because it's one of the most common dream signs--almost everybody has nightmares. The trick is, rather than waking yourself, try to confront the problem.
That's good advice. Once you know you're dreaming, nothing can hurt you. Rather than waking up, you can confront whatever's in front of you or just send yourself to somewhere else.

-Amé