What is the term for subconsciously doing something that you think you're dreaming
A friend of mine has been having these weird bouts of subconscious life interruptions. Not sure how to explain it correctly, that's why I'm here, I've researched it but I don't know how to explain it properly to get a correct search.
He is sleeping, dreams that his alarm goes off then in real life he gets up has his breakfast gets ready for work etc etc then realized its only 1am then goes back to bed, he's even got as far as getting to work and realizing its Saturday and they are not open on the weekends.
Does this have a specific name or how could I word it in a way that I can get a relevant search?
Paramnesia is defined as "a disorder of the memory or the faculty of recognition in which dreams may be confused with reality" by Collins English dictionary
There are also other related definitions, e.g. a confusion of reality and fantasy (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary). It can also refer to an inability to remember the meaning of words. So with all those different meanings it may not be the most precise word to use.
Dream-reality confusion (DRC) is a term found in the medical literature.(2)(3) I've also seen "wake-dream confusion" alongside DRC in a less academic source(4), but DRC seems more common.
References:
(1) Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
(2) "Dream-reality confusion in borderline personality disorder: a theoretical analysis", Frontiers in Psychology 2015,
(3) "The phenomenology of dream–reality confusion: A quantitative study." APA PsycNet 2018
(4) "Narcoleptics Can Have a Hard Time Telling Dreams From Reality", Vice, July 7, 2017