Can a medication cause nightmares?

Sometimes, I feel so aware that I’m dreaming, and I tell myself that this is only a dream, and I try to wake myself up, but I can’t. The dreams have been nightmares too so I really want to wake up.
And, I’ll try to yell (while I am in this nightmare dream) to my wife to wake me up but I have difficulty blurting the words out. The next day she’ll say she heard me saying or yelling something in my sleep.