Lucid Dreaming | Am I on the right track? Where can I improve?

Hello Everyone.

I Have been interested in Lucid Dreaming for some time now but only ever had a couple of experiences in a few years.

I have tried a couple of times but always failed and given up.

But this time is different I want to experience lucid dreams regularly and will do whatever it takes.

I just need some re-assurance that I am on the right track and if there is anything I should change in my routine to help things along.

So far I do the following.

• Dream Journal - I recall my dreams regularly, at least one dream a night gets recorded in as much detail as possible
  
• Reality checks - I perform as many reality checks as I can during the day. I hold my hands up and count my fingers asking to myself "am I dreaming?" (Should I be telling myself "I AM dreaming?")
  
• Prospective memory techniques - Using Laberge's techniques I find 4-5 things to remember throughout the day (Phone ringing, See a bird, See a certain vehicle, turn on a light etc....) When I see it I make a mental note and perform a realty check
  
• Plenty of sleep - I have started going to bed earlier, I used to be one of those people who would stay up till around midnight on my computer or Ipad before going to bed, I have recently started hitting the hay a lot earlier to increase my REM sleep periods and just have healthier sleep in general
  
• WBTB - I am trying to work with WBTB I currently go to bed at 10:30 and set my alarm for 4:00 then when I wake up I sit up. have a drink and think about LD for some time and try and focus on having a Lucid dream. Then after 10-15 minutes I go back to bed..... And this is where I struggle.
  I have tried MILD constantly repeating over and over and over in my head "I will realise that I am dreaming" while visualising myself reality checking... But then I fall asleep and then nothing happens till I wake up.
  I have tried WILD a couple of times also. But after relaxing my body and becoming numb, nothing seems to happen. very Little hypnogogic imagery to focus on or carry me off. Every so often I will feel like I am floating above my bed but never get much further, I have no fear of Sleep Paralysis I just lay there focusing on my breathing and staring into the back of my eyelids.
  I have also experimented with FILD, I seem to have more luck with FILD but I always seem to have a false awakening instead and forget to RC

Am I doing everything right? Is it just a case of practicing more and more until I get it down?

Is there anything you can suggest that I do to help? Can you see anything glaringly obvious in my routine that would be causing me problems? Where any of you in a similar situation recently and had a breakthrough?

Many thanks in advance for all your help.

via Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views - Attaining Lucidity http://ift.tt/1DxfpcD