How to Find Your Hands in the Dream State

When he was a junior in high school, I was reading this book that said that a person should try to find their hands in the dream state and realize they're dreaming. But there really wasn't a technique. And so what I did was this. Each night before I'd go to sleep, I'd just look at the palms of my hands,. I'd tell myself quietly over and over in my mind, tonight my dreams, I'll see my hands and realize I'm dreaming. It took about three or four minutes until I got so sleepy that I had to fall asleep.