Trapped in a Dream

Have you ever felt trapped in a dream?

I dream a lot, and I usually remember them the next day. Most of my dreams are so ordinary that sometimes I think something happened in real life, then I realize I dreamed it. But, every once in a while I have a dream from which I can't escape. I had one of those last night.

I had some dental work done yesterday, and when the numbness wore off I had pain. I decided to take a pain killer and go to bed early. I dreamed about myself, in a different world I couldn't recognize. It was confusing and menacing. I wanted to leave, but I couldn't wake up. This has happened to me in dreams before. I know I am dreaming and I want to wake up and escape, but I can not figure out how to do that. I try to open my eyes. I try to reach out and touch something real in my room. I feel like I am trapped in the dream world and I can't make myself wake up. It's very strange. It makes me afraid to go to sleep again.

This time, I knew that two of my cats were sleeping on the bed with me. I started saying their names, then I finally woke up. Maybe they moved when they heard their names, and that brought me back to reality. I can't be sure. I was still very groggy and stiff all over. I got out of bed and stretched and turned on some lights. It was very early, too early to stay awake. I got up and had a snack then went back to sleep again. This time my dream was more normal. Thank goodness!