Hello maddnessreturns: I'm sorry to read you are struggling with this. I used to experience what is referred to as: "sleep paralysis". And for many years I didn't understand what was happening. It was terrifying! I would start out dreaming I couldn't move out of the way of something, such as an oncoming car. Then I would begin to wake up & realize that I couldn't move. I'd try to cry out for help. But nothing would come out.

Fortunately, I haven't had this for a few years now. But it certainly didn't contribute anything to my sleep! I don't know what it was that caused me to stop having these experiences. It could be that I just aged out of them. It could be that I finally learned what was actually happening. It could also be that I began taking antidepressants.

It may be worthwhile to talk with your physician & / or your therapist (if you have one) about these dreams. Just talking about them may help. But they may also have some other useful suggestions. Of course, there are sleep study programs a person can go to, to have their sleep patterns analyzed. It could be that you have something going on physically that is causing you to keep having these dreams. It's awfully difficult to be at your best when you're exhausted.