Having spent a month in a sleep clinic…
Nightmares, you will USUALLY -but not always- remember. Sometimes you’ll just wake up soaked in sweat/swear, or in a full on panic attack, or? Fully aware of the shite dream. Or? Just feeling oddly disconcerted.
Night TERRORS - are actually part of the sleepwalking spectrum, rather than dreaming/nightmare spectrum, and are named “by” observers. As the person experiencing the night terror appears wide-awake, and is screaming/fighting/etc. and “cannot” be woken up… only to wake up later… feeling REFRESHED, and alert, with no memory of the brutal night they put others through (except by cuts/bruises/hoarse voice… and recriminations. Night terrors are only common amongst small children & trauma vice.
For your own well being? You WANT night terrors.
For EVERYONE ELSE’S well-being? You want nightmares.
People who experience neither? Or only 1:2? Usually think night terrors are “worse”, because of the name. NOPE! They’re not. They’re “just” different. Or, infinitely better, depending on how many people you hurt, or not, whilst in this violent & scary (for observers) form of sleepwalking.