I don’t like to forcefully insert my trans bull onto every conversation, but one of the major reasons I’m trying to control my dreams is to have my ideal body. Other people inside of my dreams often call me by my correct pronouns which is nice for a start, but it doesn’t make me less bothered by my anatomy. I tried packing while I slept, but I don’t think it worked. (However, I only tried doing it three or four times.) I can’t bind while I sleep or my ribs will crack or something. Would the only way be to lucid dream and then change my body manually once I gain awareness? I imagine I’d have to do it quickly as well, or risk waking up.
Ok so to be clear, you are primarily talking about normal dreams, right?
In that case what you want to do is usually called dream incubation, the desire to have a specific kind of dream. Usually it’s about visiting a particular place or meeting someone or performing some action. But I don’t see a reason why the concept shouldn’t work for incubating yourself a certain body.
There are several techniques for dream incubation, I recommend you to research that a bit yourself because I’m definitely no master at it 
Here’s what little I can tell you and what worked at least a little bit for me. In general try to think about your target state before going to bed. And I mean think about it a lot! Also, a MILD like approach will generally be a good idea. Swap out the “I will have a lucid dream“ mantra for “In the dream I will have a male/female body“ (not sure which is applicable for you, your post made me think you wish for a male anatomy?).
Extend this exercise to as many senses as possible and be detailed. Imagine what it will feel like to be in body of your choice. And especially what will be different. How does it feel? What will your voice be like? Do you expect to be taller/shorter? Try to form a complete picture and then repeat this in your head over and over again and simulate the dream and the sensation it will bring. If you want to make such dreams a regular thing then maybe creating your dream avatar could work. Not sure if this could cause unhealthy dissociation with your physical body IWL over a long time though.
This exercise can, just like MILD, also be done during the day and probably should. Before sleeping is arguably most important, but just like with LDs, the more opportunity you give your SC for the intent to sink in, the better.
Of course in LDs you can change your shape intentionally while asleep so it is probably a lot easier. So if you happen to LD next time, feel free to give transformation a try if your sex happens to not suit you already. But you probably have this ambition already anyway 
Also I wouldn’t say that you have to do it at the start of the dream/lucidity. Whenever you think about it and the dream feels right for it, then you can go for it.
I usually don’t even have a proper body in my own dreams, so it’s a vague concept for me to change gender in my dreams, but I have some experience. I’m not trans but the other day I was the opposite gender and I discussed it a little with some people and even had an LD where I changed subconsciously into a woman. I also tried and still try to actively do this in LDs, because I think it’s an interesting experience and offers some change of perspective.
We also have some trans people on the forum, maybe they have some experience to share that is useful for you. @Cornelia_Xaos is very active these days, for example.
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This is what I was going to suggest, actually!
I think the key to making a consistent dream avatar would be a shift in belief from “this is the body I want to experience in my dreams” to “this is the body I have in my dreams.”
You need that conviction but I think it’s possible. And even if the avatar is something that doesn’t maintain itself consistently in NDs, it might maintain itself some of the time or it might be easier to trigger upon lucidity, which is better than never?
Here's how I would personally go about doing it.
I would start by first attaining lucidity. I think I would try to incubate a scenario in which I go to a mirror or closet or something and can adjust or swap out looks like a character creator in a video game. I’d adjust to something that gives me euphoria, probably very different from my WL appearance like a fantasy race or something (because I think a big visual change would be easier for me to maintain than a subtle one? A subtle transformation might shift back to the original state??? Someone with stronger conviction than me could probably do it, though, and if you’ve got body/gender euphoria at stake then you can utilize that in your incubations or a MILD mantra like @Marvin mentioned). Choose a preexisting character from a game or show if that’s easier.
I would then do my best to set my belief that this is how I see and experience my dream body.
To do that, I would draw my dream avatar, (as drawing my DCs has solidified their appearances in my dreams over time, not sure why I couldn’t do the same with my dream body). I’m an artist and such thing is natural for me to process emotions and rationalize/talk about my experience, might not be for you. I would also write a letter to my subconscious requesting/discussing the desired change. That’s something that aligns with how I see/interact with my dreams but I think it could work for many people.
Not sure how it would work, but that’s what I would try if it were me based on the way I interact with my dreams.
I think there’s a lot of ways going about trying to set that conviction, though.
You could build the dream avatar in a video game or character creator. (My girlfriend (who is trans) spoke to me about how playing an avatar in a video game that aligns more with the body she experiences body euphoria with has helped her cope with dysphoria.)
You could try lucid transformation “tricks,” if it helps. A potion, magic spell, posses the body of another DC, etc.
Being able to experience your body in the way that makes you feel good is important. I think dreams could be powerful in that process, but changing your body in your dreams should probably not be the only form of managing your body dysphoria?
What I’m trying to say is, be carful to recognize the difference between what is a healthy management of body dysphoria to what is unhealthy escapism. If you get to experience a body you like in dreams but not in WL, I wonder if it would worsen the WL dysphoria? It could turn out to generate an unhealthy relationship with dreams and WL. I would say it depends on your mindset, though. I would consider if this is a possible pitfall for you, and if it is, tread very, very carefully. Dreams can be a place to cope, but relying upon them for such things can be tricky.
As another option, you might consider using your dreams to explore how you might find more peace with your body as it is and the ways you are currently able to express your gender in WL. Figure out your WL goals for yourself and then look to your dreams.
Don’t rely on your dreams to fulfil or satisfy your WL goals, use them to help you get there.
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I’d very much consider how you are approaching this. Lucid dreams are heavily dependent on your expectations, not so much your RL physical circumstances. Packing or binding isn’t going to make the difference. You will appear in the dream the way you expect to. If you go in with the mindset that you’ll need to change your body, the expectation is that you’re starting with the body you don’t want.
I’ve managed to change my physical gender in a dream. It was hard. Like, one of the harder things I’ve done. I could waste time telling you how I did that, but I don’t think that’s helpful. You are not trying to gender swap. You are trying to be you.
I am not trans and am not authority, but my best advice is to work on being comfortable with who you are. Your body does not dictate that. You began by apologizing for “forcefully inserting [your] trans bull.” Your identity is all about being who you are. Never apologize for that, and never handwave it as being anything other than imminently important to you.
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It’s interesting that you point that out. I also noticed the apologetic tone. I just wanted to actually answer the main question first. @Clark, your question is absolutely reasonable and it makes perfect sense to ask for body transformation kind of advice here. I hope we could help you 
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Makes sense, I thought it’d help because I’ve heard things in my dreams that reflected loud sounds that I was hearing in real life and I felt a pain in my side while I was dreaming because my blankets were bunched up underneath my real body and digging into me.
Glad to know it doesn’t bother y’all, some folks might get a bit irked when I bring up being trans too much 
Thanks for the advice!
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Using something physical isn’t a bad idea, but there’s two big problems. One, it puts emphasis on your physical body, making it more likely for you to wake up. Two, you know what it is that you’re feeling, so that’s likely what it is also going to be in the dream. If you get to the point of having the body you want consistently, it may help with sensation.