Dream Encyclopedia

I have been having some crazy dreams lately. Sometimes they make absolutely no sense, they're torn from some spasm that my brain was having in hallucinogenic technicolor. Other dreams are practically my real life, and I know exactly what they're about. Catch is, I'm not one of those people who EVER knows that I'm dreaming. My boyfriend says that he can usually stop himself in a bad dream by realizing that it's just a dream. This never happens to me. Maybe once. But I always wake up soaked in relief that I'm not running from a psychopathic killer or searching down endless corridors for a bathroom, only to find a giant room with lots of rickety commodes where I'll be forced to choose the cleanest one and squat upon it in front of other people.
Last night's dream was a very realistic fight with my mother. I'm screaming so intensely that my voice doesn't work. I'm screaming in whispers. And I think I might be pummeling her as well. No question what that's about, since we were fighting about my brother in the dream. No question that I feel guilty and helpless and powerless when I think about the situation. No question that what I say falls on deaf ears anytime I talk to her about it.
The night before last I had several dreams. In one, I had just finished fixing my hair (straightening it, which I never do), and it had turned out quite nicely. Big and beautiful. Until I ran my fingers through it, revealing clumps underneath of what looked like fried potato slices, and turned out to be my scalp flaking off in giant, greasy patches. Words cannot describe my horror. I scraped giant clumps of greasy scalp out, which made a sizable pile. I remember feeling very upset that I would have to wash my hair again after it had turned out so nicely the first time.
My scalp has been a bit flaky lately, but greasy-sliced-potato chunks? Any takers?
Also, in that dream, my apartment looked strangely like Rabbit's hole from Winnie the Pooh. Really, where the hell does my brain come up with this stuff?
I would be oh so happy with one night of happy dreams. To fall asleep and not wake up until it's time to get up for the day.