Have you tried MILD with a WBTB when you wake in the middle of the night?
It’s my favorite combination because it disrupts my sleep the least and I find it easier than any WILD method. But that’s not why I’m suggesting it to you, necessarily.
You’ve demonstrated your ability to use autosuggestions to wake up around 3-4. You can also use autosuggestions to manifest lucid dreams, which can be part of a MILD practice.
Have you identified any dream signs?
If you have you can tie it in to an autosuggestion, “when I experience (dream sign), I will realize I’m dreaming.”
This thread discusses MILD mantras and autosuggestions. Give it a try!
And waking up in the middle of the night is a great time to do a WBTB. I have trouble getting back to sleep, so I don’t stay up very long at all. Usually a trip to the bathroom, sip of water, then some focus on my MILD intent to realize I’m dreaming. Then I let myself fall back asleep.
I recommend you pick one main technique and focus on it for a couple of weeks at a time, adding a WBTB when it’s convenient. This will give you time to absorb any mantras and reinforce your mindset and intent. It will also prevent some middle of the night indecision and give you several nights to attempt and practice your chosen method. After a few weeks you can assess how it’s going and try a different method for a while if it’s not working for you.
If lucidity is the target, several focused single shots are better than a scattershot in the form of -ILD roulette.
Yet…
At the same time, there are no rules when it comes to your dreams (except for the ones you set, I suppose). There is no standard timeline for lucidity. It’s a personal journey and ultimately, if you stick with it, you will discover what works for you in time.
Be kind to yourself. You’re doing great by keeping your journal.
If not achieving lucidly has you feeling down, reexamine what success can look like in your relationship with your dreams. You don’t have to be lucid to foster that; just giving your dreams attention and journaling can be very rewarding and intimate. And doing those things is always a step towards lucidity because it helps you get to know your dreams. The more familiar you are with them, the more likely you are to recognize them when you’re in them.