So for the past few months (since late last year) I'd had a lot of trouble with sleeping and in particular, nightmares. And I don't know how or why it started. I feel like I'm aware of when the dreaming is going to happen but I can't stop it. Like before bed last nights and a couple of other times, I'd think that I could feel I'd have a nightmare that night but I couldn't stop it. Also last night, I wanted to stay awake because I knew it was coming but it felt like I was being dragged in almost. I mean, it's so bad that I slept for four extra hours and I spent that time fighting and trying to get out of a nightmare. Sometimes I'll wake up momentarily and think how I've got to stay awake because I can't go back but I'll fall back asleep anyway and the whole dream will pick up right where it left off. They've all followed a common sort of theme so far. Usually I'll be somewhere isolated (it was a desert last time) and someone is hunting me, trying to find me and kill me. The funny thing is, sometimes I'm aware I'm dreaming and I just get up and leave, which wakes me up. So I had one where myself and a whole group of people were being hunted by another group. For the hunt to be over, the sun had to rise since it always stayed night. I told someone that this was a dream as we were hiding in a building and if I just stepped out there, declaring the war was over, it would end and the sun would rise. And it worked, so I woke up. But when I wake up, I always feel sweaty and gross... But then there are some, this is far more common, where I'll know it's a nightmare but I still can't leave. I literally spent one of my more recent nightmares throwing myself in front of cars because I knew getting killed was supposed to wake you up but it still didn't work. Sometimes, even though I'm terrified, I run out and let the murderers capture me, just to get it over with. And I'm scared to sleep because killing yourself is supposed to be like an escape route and when that doesn't work, what am I supposed to do? There's no sense of time there and sometimes it feels like I'll be trapped forever. You always have to wake up, right? You can't become trapped in your own mind? Is this some sort of problem and what's causing the nightmares?
Has something unusual happened recently or are you stressed? Are you taking any medication? Would you describe these dreams as being in fully in a sleep but just being aware of it being a dream or more like that you are semi-awake but cannot completely wake up? If it is that you are fully sleeping and aware of the dream you should be able to direct the dream whatever way you want. It has happened to me twice and in both cases it was awesome: I was able to do whatever I want from flying to instantly traveling across the world. Unfortunately I woke up pretty quickly.
