This is exactly what I was going to suggest. Instead of forgetting your dreams, why not turn them into periods of activity? The first step in learning to lucid dream is learning to remember your dreams, which is already covered.

I'd almost be envious, since I haven't even gotten that part down yet.

I don't know how you could learn to become properly unconscious

From what Jasen_Murray has told me you can learn to become unconscious via a whole bunch of meditation.