Exiting the dream.....by choice.
I find dreams to be a place to test our control over our circumstances. I got up early to go to the flea market this am...only to find out that it was closed due to predicted rain. I went back home and back to bed. I find this time after early awakening to be very fruitful for dreaming. In the dream, I found myself on the roof of this house being constructed. There were workers all around standing on flimsy staging. I couldn't find a safe way down to the ground within the parameters of the dream. I told myself...I want to be out of this situation, opened my eyes, and I was out of the situation. My model is that dreams are a training ground to help us to deal with challenges that might occur out of body in the afterlife.