Two quite different experiences

The last two nights have been quite strange.

I woke up frightened out of my mind yesterday, not knowing what scared me. I ended up running towards the door, almost stumbling over my bed sheet, opening the locked door in a hurry, running out of the room. Then I got back to my old self and went back to bed not knowing what had happened.

Did I perhaps wake up from a dream in panic, or did I perhaps wake up in sleep paralysis? My most logical conclusion would have it be a dream since I can't recall any sleep paralysis, but would I really be able to open up a locked door with such precision in a hurry if I had just woken up?

I have also been quite stressed out lately which would seem to fit the cause for sleep paralysis.

So, do you think it was sleep paralysis or something else?


The next night, the most recent one, I woke up crying, a friend died in the dream and I had to drag his hand out of sand he drowned in. I cried a lot in my dream, and somehow woke up crying profusely. I was quite emotional for a while, but then I was fine a little later. Could this be me dealing with grief? I had a friend who died a year ago (not the one I dreamed about), but I thought I was over that.
I also had quite a headache (still have one as I writing this) the whole day, which I think may have been caused by my awakening.

I have been quite stressed these past two days (as stated earlier) which I think have led to me having weird nights. Two unique awakenings two days in a row isn't likely to be a coincidence. Really hoping the upcoming night won't be similar so I would like to know why it happened (I think it's stress at least). Thus I would like this forum's input on it to prevent it.