When you have a nightmare can you willingly wake yourself up? Lucid dreams?

Question

Had a terrible nightmare last night and eventually realized “this is a dream” and was able to wake myself up to get out of it. How many of you have lucid dreams?

Answer

I lucid dream at least twice a month. It’s not always nightmares though, which is cool since I usually have to ability to control my dreams and even fly in them.

Answer

Since I’m pregnant I get them a lot more. I don’t try to wake myself up, I just try to control them.

Answer

No, but I can often recognize it's just a dream and I usually calm down. I'm a fairly logical person so when something crazy impossible happens I can convince myself I'm dreaming and kind of test it out in the dream. I'll do something like pinch myself or eat something, those kinds of things. Once I realize it's a dream I can't seem to wake myself up but I'll just go with the flow and at least not be scared

Answer

me personally i have terrible nightmares, sometimes daily and some that just “spook” me. 
there are times where i’ll just spring straight up gripping the bed sheets and there are some where i’ll wake up screaming. (ptsd nightmares are tough) so tbh i’m not sure how i should answer this poll

Answer

Not as much anymore, but I used to all the time. I would even notice things that were "off" just in normal dreams. Like, I'd start trying to remember how I got somewhere, and then realize the reason I didn't know was because I was dreaming. As I've gotten older though, I seem to have lost that ability a bit. I also don't remember my dreams as often, so that may have something to do with it.