I have the same problems with sleep for the past 10 years. It has gotten better, but I still do struggle. I did ask my GP for a sleep study early on which showed I have sleep apnea. Now I sleep with a CPAP and I sleep better.

My pdoc has me on medications to help - 1 to help me fall asleep, 1 to help me stay asleep and 1 that I take as needed to help me fall back to sleep when I do wake up usually from nightmares.

Sometimes my nightmares are all over the place, sometimes they are several nights long, each a continuation of the previous and sometimes they have something in common (which I only discover once I really look at them).

The continuation dreams have led me to specific past traumas I suffered. The ones that are all over are usually trying to make sense of my messed up brain. And the ones that have something in common usually have to do with what I'm working on with my tdoc or something that is causing me anxiety.

I try to write down my dreams. Besides helping me to sort out what they're about, it helps to get through the anxiety and panic they provoke.

I would suggest talking to your GP about a sleep study. It is possible you have sleep apnea or some other sleep disorder that can be treated.