Urge to yawn when trying to engage SP?

When's the best time to relax/mediate and try and let SP start/takeover?

I usually fall asleep on my back with my hands on my sides. The few times I've had SP sensations has always been in this position. However lately I haven't been experiencing any (over 2 years)

last night I tried relaxing and keeping myind awake and leaving my body still. The only interruptions I was getting was a strong urge to swallow and an occasional itch that would almost become unbearable. I realize scratching the itch would kill the whole attempt...but what about swallowing? I would assume your body swallows for itself even after your in SP uncounciously..or am I wrong on this?

Is it better to practice this right when you get in bed....or in the middle of the night?

If you experience SP sensations alot can you please tell me your routine before you go to bed? What do you drink before bed, do you stretch? Do you listen to music? How do you keep your mind awake (counting, visualizing)? How long does it normally take before the sensations usually begin?

Thanks

You should be attempting to WILD after a few hours of sleep, not before going to bed at night. WBTBs work best. Also getting up in the morning for a few hours, then laying back down to take a nap is good for WILDs as well.

As for things like scratching an itch: I find it worse to try to ignore the itch because then it gets worse and I keep thinking about it. A quick scratch I've found does not disrupt the SP process hardly at all. I swallow when I need to. Just don't think about it, the body will swallow if it has to. When you are in SP/dreaming it is very rare that you will swallow, and usually a sudden urge to swallow during SP/HI can be indicative of exiting the SP state. For example, if you are experiencing HI and become a bit excited and your heart rate increases, your body wakes up a little and the urge to swallow will be immediate. I use swallowing as a gage to measure my progress into SP, but I would suggest unexperienced WILDers not to think about it.

(also regarding your thread title, I have never had the urge to yawn during SP or WILDing)

I have tried to wild a few times. I lay on my back, with my shoulders and head on my pillow, which makes my head tilt back a little. Whenever I do that, I just randomly swollow real quick. I will just be laying there thinking of other things and of becoming lucid, and then I will just swollow. I will admit that I did swollow on purpose I few times...but I still got to the early stages of SP anyway..felt all tingly, heart raced, had trouble breathing, etc.(read my post here: http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ad.php?t=89401)

So if you swollow once in a while in a naturaly way...I don't think it sets you much if at all. As for itches, I get terrible ones, but I just think of something else and they go away as soon as I forget about them(hard to believe, but just think of something else and you will soon forget about the itch).