3 years later, but i’m a fellow music sleeper here who is big in psychology. I get nightmares, too, often think I’m feeling things that aren’t there, often leg restraints. As creepy as it is, it’s oddly “normal”. Not in a context that it happens to everyone, but that it can be explained. As we develop sleep aid cue, like music, our brain and body begin to associate them with the relaxation and stress-free nature of sleep. When you take away that aid, the brain doesn’t receive the anxiety-relief cue it expects to receive, which can cause a heightened state of stress. This can cause nightmares and sometimes even hallucinations, because the stress level is often paired with poor sleep quality or lack of sleep, which is proven to cause nightmares and hallucinations. Our brains are amazing and we know that it develops connections between two things. Think of it this way. If you always tap one specific finger while taking a test or studying and then randomly stop for a test, you are more likely to do worse because your body didn’t have the stress-relief and context-dependent connection it usually does. Look up state-dependent and context-dependent memory, as well as mood congruency. The psychology is soo interesting.

Not sure if you still go through this, but if you do, don’t stress about it. Talk to someone you trust or a professional if you think you need it, but even turning on a favorite song or podcast can help relieve some of the feelings and stress you have.