Trying to control your dream and waking up?

I'm relatively new to this ,but I was wondering if anyone else had this problem or a similar experience. I've been able to control my dreams for the most part up untill this point through a different method. When I am having a dream, and I think about something in the dream, it tends to happen. For example, if I'm doing something in the dream, and I just think "A pizza would be good", a pizza will somehow find itself to me. Mind you, I don't realize I am dreaming, but I start to notice something is odd if I can just think about these things and get them. However, once i put two and two together and realize that I am in fact in a dream, and I start trying to concentrate on doing things, I wake up. How do you attain the perfect balance between controlling dreams and not waking up?

I'm not sure about 'focussing on something' waking me up, but I do find that if I'm drawn too much into something 'strange' or confusing.. then I wake easily...

All I can suggest is trying to avoid it ?
Not sure ... :P

Getting too excited as well as trying too hard to do something in a lucid will cause you to wake up. The best is to either find and avoid the things that causes you to wake up, like Placebo said, or try to maintain an apathic mood towards the dreamscape, which is a lot harder but can be mastered with some practice.

Oh yes, try out some dream sustaining methods too. Like rubbing your hands and spinning. These techs work for some people.

Thanks for your help and input guys! I'll definently check out some of those techniques, and I also just found the tutorial section, so I'll be reading up a lot on those things. Thanks again!

my first night I attained realization twice and woke up right away from being too excited. I have managed to control someone else's appearance merely by accident (it was like a split second of...I can do this! but then just slipping back into the dream). That's all the success I've had other than expanding my dream recalling ability. I think I'm possibly not recalling my LDs because in the dreams I remember I'm doing alot of things I'd want to do if I was in control like anti-gravity running(the more energy you exsert into each step, the higher you go) and wall walking.

I guess when you're new you just have to take baby steps and work your way up to full control throughout entire dreams.

Welcome to the boards UseYourIllusion!!!!!

Rubbing hands generally works for me, or grabbing on to something, like that wall or another person or such, when everything is fading away. The objective is to stimulate your senses and let you feel what is going on in the dream world. That will take you back to the dream and prevent everything from fading...