I can only offer advice on the sleep paralysis, something I suffer from myself.
If you experience this again, and you reach that level where you are sort of aware that you are awake and know you are having paralysis, you can try directing your thoughts in a positive direction. Basically, go to your happy place. The lifelike dreams should start to take a more positive turn, and a few others I know have told me by doing this they can now pretty much control their dreams, and have wonderful vivid but pleasant dreams. I know its harder than it sounds like, Its a process that may take several tries before you get some sort of control. I hope you can use it