Experiences w nightmares and insomnia linked to dissociating/derealization?

I always had these very vivid dreams and nightmares. Growing up, they became more long, detailed and unsettling with time.

They were so real, and I started noticing dissociation symptoms associated with them.

One time I woke up hearing and alarm and couldn't tell if it was real or not, if I was still sleeping or allucinating. It went on for minutes and minutes of complete derealization and I had an anxiety attack.

(It was a house alarm from another apartment).

More often I have nightmares so terrible that I can't push them away completely when I'm awake. I have some kind of "emotional flashback", where I suddenly remember something from the dream and I feel in danger, anguished, scared shitless, grieving (whatever I felt in the dream). After just a millisecond I remember that it wasn't real, but the emotions still cling to me for days.

I often can't remember if something really happened or if I dreamt it. Little things (like dreaming that a friend wanted to sell their car) but when I was little I used to believe much bigger things. I was convinced for years that I went on a cruise with my family and we called animal control because of some abused pups, until I discovered that we never went on a cruise lol

I also had trouble sleeping for years. But since my biggest depressive episode started with a week of not sleeping more than three hours a night, sleep deprivation is triggering for me.

I've never met anyone with a similar experience, but since I've discovered about the link between BD and lack of sleep, I've been asking myself if it's related.

Anyone with similar experiences?