Is it possible to WILD without first getting 5 hours of sleep?

I've been trying to lucid dream through the WILD technique without getting 5 hours of sleep first (so I'm not necessarily ready for REM sleep). I found that the first two times I tried I started to see light coming from sides of my closed eyes (so picture a dark space with a light to the side) and heard people talking and swings in motion. But then I lost the illusion. The past few times I tried the same thing, but now I just fall asleep within a few minutes. What should I do to keep myself awake and how can I stabilize my dream when it starts to form?

Also I've never lucid dreamt before. Thanks.