Hello Emathtraveler: Welcome to Psych Central The Coping with Emotions forum, here on PC, may also be of interest. Here's a link:

https://psychcentralforums.com/coping-with-emotions/

You mentioned sleep paralysis. This is something I struggled with for many years (not so much anymore.) Somewhere I read that if one sleeps on one's back, this can tend to encourage episodes of sleep paralysis. I think this may be part of the reason I seldom have these anymore because for quite a few years now I've found I can't sleep on my back. I almost always sleep on one side or the other & occasionally on my stomach.

You mentioned having nightmares as well as having difficulty sleeping. Here are links to 4 articles, from Psych Central's archives, that touch upon these subjects:

More Than a Dream: The Science Behind Nightmares | Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

How to Eliminate Recurring Nightmares

The First Line of Treatment for Insomnia That'll Surprise You

Putting the Fear of Sleeplessness to Rest

I hope you find PC to be of benefit.