Is this an out of body experience? Astral projection? Sleep apnea? Waking nightmares?

This has been happening to me since I was a child. Things have a slightly different "view" as I have gotten older. I wake up in my sleep. It's REAL it is not just a bad dream or even just a dream. It happens in every state every house or tent every vacation. Always and anywhere. At first when I "wake up" I can't move and I know immediately that it's starting. So I can't move and I am always really scared. I don't see or hear things that aren't there only everything the way it was when I was actually awake. The scenery doesn't change. With the exception that I have thought that I saw my dog walking around once and when I forced myself awake he was not really there. And one other time I saw 2 large planks of wood levitating in my bedroom doorway. Very scared when I awoke. Recently it has been getting worse and more evil and scary feeling. I was slammed backwards into my bedroom wall about a month ago and was trying so hard to scream for my cat because he was right next to me and as I was coming to I heard myself screaming his name and it was not my voice...It was deep and scratchy. He heard me and was looking at me wide eyed and alert. I also had not moved. Within the same month I was sleeping on the couch and again it happened but this time I was completely paralyzed and couldn't even try to open my eyes and I could feel something walking up the couch on my legs. This is becoming terrifying and intrusive to my contentment with sleeping. I am always worried that it will happen. I have to force myself to stay awake for at least 10 minutes before I can go back to sleep by smoking a cigarette watching TV and /or walking around. My first instinct is fear I have looked up numerous theories and subjects that could be an answer but there is always something that differs from my experience. I am 26 and have had this since I can remember. I just want some sort of answer or maybe idea that I can research. Please Help! Thank you