I figure if I can understand why we lose conscious self-awareness each night as we go to "sleep", then figuring out a way to get around it might be the first start to having a WILD.

I have heard of people remaining conscious during theta, delta (K complex), and deep delta, so I know it is possible.. so the first question that this brings to mind is what exactly causes us to lose awareness each night?

Is this an acutal mechanism in our brains that shuts off biochemically that can't be countered (if this were true then how do people remain conscious in all stages of the sleep cycles)?

Is this a protective mechanism that our brains are programmed to do from birth so that we don't get scared by the weird stuff that happens when passing through the sleep cycles?

I have been trying to observe what happens when I go to sleep and it seems that the more I let my mind wander, the easier I fall asleep. I am unsure though as to what point I actually lose conscious awareness or how it happens.

Some people like Vessen Hopkins have described this as a "tug" on your awarenss to pass out as you are falling asleep, but I have yet to experience it like this.