Too many to count since childhood. It's usually I'm in a shitpile of trouble for whatever reason I'm trying to escape from death while people are furiously chasing me. Other times folks that are dear to me are in trouble.
The most recent one that I recall is everyone is under the Chinese government control and I was still very young in this dream with my school friends(that i havent spoke to or even thought about in years) and we're trying to hide from folks in a rugged hilly terrain and suddenly we were surprised by folks in stealth uniform and captured.
This is unusual, usually my dreams don't invoice this kind of geopolitical stuff.
But everytime it happens it's a torture, I wake up all screaming, sweaty and heart palpitating.
I've always completely avoided all horror movies and even news most of the time.
What kills me is the vividity of the dream. Its not at all different from reality when it happens. Being tied up and bludgeoned is terrfying.
Everytime I wake up after a nightmare like this I can't go back to sleep for hours and then I fall asleep at like 5 am and wake up late and my work day is screwed.
I've been told since very young that I scream and bother others during these night terrors but I couldnt do much for years. I was even told to see a therapist once but that doesn't seem like the solution to me.
The best way I've found to reduce nught terrors is to completely eliminate all light sources from the sleeping area even from small electronics and also the microwave. But sometimes it's unavoidable like the green light on the fire alarm placed in a bad spot.
On the other hand, when I'm on the top of my game - my job is great, I'm doing well financially etc , I've had crystal clear dreams of flying. I just push myself up and start floating. Everything on the ground is beautiful as I float. This dream is rare but when it happens I enjoy it extraordinarily. I forget even the most terrifying dreams within a day or a few days but this floating dream is still right in front of me.
Would appreciate what hacks others have to reduce or eliminate these night terrors.