Panic attacks/claustrophibia in sleep

Hi Everyone

While i was on holiday in January i had this very wierd experience of waking up and feeling overcome with panic - not knowing where I was or more importanly how i could get out. During this panic i am not sure if i am awake or asleep but it is very feel and very frightening i feel as though i am about to die or in serious danger of some sortbut once i fully wake and reorientate myself the panic subsides and once my heart rate has settled i can go back to sleep.

This happened for the first time in january but has occured four times over the past ten days and its making me slightly nervous of going to sleep. I am not aware that i am having a 'bad' dream before waking up like this although i am having a lot of bad dreams too that are accompanied by very physical sensations - like getting the skin on my arm caught in barbed wire and feeling the skin being pulled away.

Overall i am in spiritual/emotional turmoil currently and going through a very challenging time that is making me pull my hair out at times. Everything feels like it is changing and i am desperately tyring to create something secure only to have it washed away by another tide of relevelations. I do realise this is a good thing and am keeping my sense of humour about the whole process (sharing in the universal joke so to speak!)but i feel that by engaging ina more real way with the dream state this process could be aided.

Any insights are welcome

With love and light

Sunbeamx