Thread: Problems/Questions concerning LDs

Hi all!
I just registered on here, but I have been trying to get lucid for a few months now (by doing RCs whenever I think of it and writing down dreams whenever I can get myself to do it). I have some questions that I couldn't find answers for on this board (I surely overlooked something) but anyway:

1. I got lucid about 10 times since I began to try, always via DILD and recognizing something strange (I don't think I managed to get lucid with a simple RC yet, it takes a reason to do it). These dreams are always perfectly clear, visually not distinguishable from the real world as far as I can tell. However, none of them lasted longer than presumably 2-4 minutes, some only seconds The first times I got excited and just started flying which resulted in waking up, but this week I had 2 LDs (one today during a nap) in which I remained calm and I don't know what I did wrong
In the 1st dream I had a false awakening, began to get ready for school and shouted at my sis to stop bugging me, then I went into my room and a leg came out of the ground
(), which got me lucid. After that I went outside and followed a teacher to a mall where I got up an escalator with some others, leading to an observation deck where we didn't know where to go next. I had carefully examined the environment throughout the dream by constantly touching objects and looking at the shape and texture. Then, all of a sudden, I see the back of my eyelids, all dream imagery is gone. The dream had shown no signs of ending whatsoever.
Today I got lucid because of a minute hand going backwards rapidly. The dream was a bit blurry so I rubbed my hands together and it got clear. This time I felt the dream suddenly lose integrity after a while (the imagery was gone, my dream body still there for a short time), but neither rubbing my hands nor spinning would bring it back, again I woke up.
Any ideas how to prevent that? I'm sick of wasting my LDs

2. I tried to WILD 2 or 3 times, but I always become aware of water accumulating in my mouth (obviously because I don't want to think about it) that I have to gulp down. Since that involves some muscles, will it prevent my body from falling asleep? (And if it does, how could I stop thinking about it...)

3. Unrelated, but I'm wondering: How long can LDs generally last, and is it possible to somehow have more time pass/do more things in the same amount of time in a dream than in the waking world (due to the brain processing thoughts faster etc.)? I have read about some people claiming to have spend days or even weeks in a dreams, but I'm REALLY skeptical of that. Has anyone experience something like that?

Sorry for the lengthy newbie post, aswers would be appreciated