Suffocating during Dreams

I was wondering if you could help me with this sleep problem that I've been having.I didn't really think it was anything to worry about until it began happening on numerous occasions.The whole dream I know that I am dreaming.  Its like I am watching a movie.  In the dreams it builds up to a very scary ending and something happens that scares me enough to where I need to wake up. One that I can remember for example, at the end I was shoved through a giant mirror and just flying through time with tons of force.  When it happens it takes my breath away, I start gasping for air, just moaning and whippering, because I cant say anything.  I know that I am dreaming and trying to to get someone that is in the room with me to hear me and wake me up.  I try so hard to wake up so I can breathe, but no matter how hard I try I can't wake up fom the dream unless someone physically shakes me to wake me up. Also, during the dream I can tell where in waking life someone is in the room.  I live with my boyfriend, and during these dreams when Im trying to yell for him to wake me up, I can still see the dream happening and I can see where he really is in the room.  Im not sure if its because these dreams usually happen soon after I fall asleep and just remember where he was at the time i fell asleep, but i know that sometimes these dreams have happened after i've been asleep for a longer time. I believe that its probably stress related, that is the only thing I can think of.  But i'm scared to go to sleep with no one there with me.  Out of all the times I have had this happen I have not once been able to physically wake myself up.  Im scared that if it happens when I'm by myself, ill just suffocate.  One time that i was trying to wake up and gasping for air it seemed like it went on for over a minute and half.  I remember my gasps getting slower. Hopefully from what I wrote you can maybe get some idea of why this happens, or what i can do to make it not happen.
Thank you.

[Steven Y Park, MD]

What you're going through must be truly a frightening experience. It sounds like you're having nightmares with possibly one of the sleep paralysis conditions. This is where your brain wakes you up without turning on the switch that tells your body to move. REM sleep is when you're dreaming, but also when your muscles are completely paralyzed. There can be confusion of these sleep stages when waking up. Your best bet is to see a sleep medicine doctor. Good luck.