[laurendelkay]

Hi, my name is Lauren and I am new here. I am having sleep issues at the moment. When I am asleep, I can't tell the difference between reality and my dreams. They're often frightening. My most common one is that I don't know where I am and I am lost. Sometimes I can recognize that I am dreaming, however I am still unable to wake up. I have experienced sleep paralysis before, but these dreams are almost the opposite, it is like my mind is sleeping while my body is trying to get me to wake up. Has anyone else experienced this? I feel like I am going crazy.

[Skeezyks]

Hello Lauren: I noticed this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to Psych Central. I'm sorry you are encountering this difficulty. Sleep paralysis is something I have experienced as well. I can't say as I have had the type of experience you describe in your post though. Perhaps there will be other members, here on PC, who will have had some similar experiences they can share.

Here are links to 5 articles, from Psych Central's archives, on the subjects of nightmares & sleep terror:

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

How to Eliminate Recurring Nightmares

The meaning of your nightmares | Unleash Your Creativity

Sleep Terror Symptoms

Attention Required! | Cloudflare

I hope you find PC to be of benefit.