Thread: Evolution of Dream/Sleep Experience

Hello All,

I'm not really sure whether this is the appropriate place for me to post this but I figured I would start here. I've started to experience what I call an evolution in my dreaming/sleep. When I was young (12-14) I started to experience sleep paralysis, and a sense of terror while in that state. On occasion I would see a dark shillouette hovering above me but couldn't move and couldn't wake up. I would struggle and moan as loud as I could trying to wake up. I wuld struggle and try to call out but wouldn't really be able to. Thankfully, after a minute or so I would awake. This happened many times while I was young and it terrified me for years. Sometimes I would have it occurr 3 times a week for 6 months. I finally found out it was something many other ppl have experienced and finding that out helped me not to fear it so much.
During this year though things have started to change. I still come under the paralysis, but now I'm starting to dream while in that state. I realize I am asleep and can't move. The dreams I have are very very long, and vivid, I can interact with everything in it. I remember them in full detail and although they aren't terrifying to me they are very very intense. The other thing is that my dreams don't occur at the end of my sleep all the time. Alot of them start 5 - 10 minutes after I first fall asleep and wake me up within 5-10 minutes but the dream feels like 4 or 5 hours and I recall everything.
The most recent development in my dreaming is experiencing false awakenings. There have been a few times where I thought I have woken from the dream and started to become settled again only to find I am still in it. A lot of times in dreams I am not afraid anymore but want to wake up but can't. I use my experience in waking up from my paralysis when I was young to cry out in the night and my spouse wakes me up. It's just really strange to me to be lucid, trapped, and now somewhat unaware I am still in the dream. I guess my ultimate question is: has anyone else experienced this evolution and can someone recommend a professional testing or sleep clinic where I could maybe make sure everything is okay.

I haven't really talked alot about this experience before and so my detail may be lacking. Feel free to ask any questions you wish and I will clarify what I meant. Thank you all for your time

WOOF