We’ve all experienced waking abruptly in a sweat-soaked bed after a nightmare. Regardless of whether or not these dreams are logical, realistic, or just plain confusing, they often leave us sitting upright, wondering why we had them and unable to fall back asleep. From Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams in 1899 to Carl Jung’s 1985 work, Jungian Dream Analysis, to modern-day psychotherapy and amateur dream-interpretation accounts on TikTok and Instagram, experts across various fields have sought to pinpoint why our minds conjure up such vivid fictional scenarios during sleep.
Why do dreams and nightmares occur?
“Every aspect of the dream is an aspect of the dreamer,“ says Bonnie Buckner, who holds a PhD in psychology and is the founder and CEO of the International Institute for Dreaming and Imagery. The subconscious keeps tabs on the high levels of stress and anxiety that come with being human. This means dreams and their meanings are inherently subjective to a person’s daily interactions with the world, their emotions, and their memories.
According to Buckner, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the stage when brain activity closely resembles our waking state, and when most dreaming takes place, as opposed to non-REM (NREM) sleep. During the REM phase, she says, the mind unlocks information that has been missed by the conscious brain and organizes reality into symbolic storylines.
“Dreaming is like thinking in a different brain state— visual, emotional, and intuitive areas are more active while logic and self-censorship are dialed down,” says Deirdre Barrett, who holds a PhD in psychology, is a dream researcher at Harvard, and authored the book The Committee of Sleep. “We dream about the same concerns we have awake, just in a more metaphorical, nonlinear form.”
Barrett suggests that nightmares are how our brains process or rehearse potentially threatening scenarios, especially for individuals who have experienced trauma, which can result in repetitive dreams instead of resolution.
“Every aspect of the dream is an aspect of the dreamer.”— Bonnie Buckner
“Nightmares often emerge when strong negative emotions—especially fear, grief, or helplessness—haven’t been fully resolved during waking hours,” Barrett says. “In dreams, these emotions are amplified by the brain’s heightened visual and emotional activity and reduced logical filtering.”
For example, conflict avoidance in daily life, such as avoiding confrontation with a friend about their behavior or discussing a significant other’s lack of communication in the relationship, may manifest in our sleep as dreams of feeling trapped or being chased.
What are the most common anxiety dreams and their meanings?
Nightmare: Your teeth fall out.
What it means: This dream would cause anyone to wake up and quickly check the mirror to see if their teeth have suddenly vanished from their mouth. According to Barrett, this is one of the most commonly reported dreams—and it’s not necessarily related to your fear of the dentist. Instead, common interpretations surrounding this dream may reflect anxieties around appearance, aging, or saying the wrong thing.
“You’ll hear everything from ‘you bite when you are angry’ to ‘teeth are the sex appeal in your smile; no one would be attracted if you lost them,” she says. Nonetheless, because dreams are all intuitively unique to the dreamer’s experiences, Barrett suggests looking within to reflect on what teeth personally symbolize to each individual.
Nightmare: You’re being chased.
What it means: Dreams about being chased are not only intimidating, they can also raise questions about what it might mean, whether the one chasing you is a mysterious person or someone familiar. (It can be especially unnerving when someone you trust, for instance, guest stars in your dreams as a threatening presence.) Buckner recalls a client’s description of a dream in which she was met at the door by a frightening, unfamiliar person who looked back at her and said, “I love you.” Buckner says this dream reflected her client’s longing to love herself.
When experiencing a dream about being chased, Buckner suggests trying to turn around and face the antagonist. “Frequently, when the person does that, it’s either not threatening anymore and the scene changes totally, or it’s maybe themselves that they’re running from,” Buckner says. While this isn’t always possible (not everyone can lucid dream), it may be empowering for those able to do it.
Nightmare: You’re in free-fall.
What it means: When Tom Petty wrote the 1989 rock hit “Free Fallin’,” the themes of vulnerability and loss of control run throughout the song as it vividly depicts the common dream of falling into an abyss, capturing a sense of vulnerability and the desire for freedom.
According to Barrett, this dream typically arises from feelings of instability, a sense of losing control, or a fear of failure. “It’s best to ask: what was happening in your life that week? And how did you feel in the dream?” Barrett says. Buckner echoes this idea, noting the importance of reflecting on dreams like these to help individuals regain control and resolve issues present in their waking life.
Nightmare: You’re driving an out-of-control car.
What it means: Much like the sensation of free-falling, being behind the wheel and unable to stop as the car begins accelerating faster down the road suggests that a person might be having difficulty gaining control of themselves or a situation in their waking life. “Cars often symbolize our direction in life, with the driver’s seat suggesting control—or the lack of it,” says Barrett, adding that this dream is the result of someone who may feel stuck or worried about what the future might hold for them.
She also suggests that this nightmare format might stem from someone’s emotions related to driving: “For some, driving is exhilarating; for others, it’s anxiety-inducing even awake.”
How to take control of your nightmares
Tired of waking up tired? (And freaked out, panicked, sweating…you get the picture.) Here’s what the experts say about addressing bad dreams.
Reflect on your dreams’ meaning.
It may seem counterintuitive to focus on the anxiety inducers, but introspection can be a gift to your waking self. “Dreaming shows us where we are at this moment in time—either we’re blocking those potentials or it’s time to look at them a little more closely,” explains Buckner. Reflecting on the meaning of our dreams can foster self-growth and empowerment, serving as a guide for navigating self-healing by keeping a record of the feelings and experiences that surface from the subconscious.
Record a dream journal.
To identify the subliminal messages that transpire into nightmares. She recommends spending a few minutes jotting down everything you remember—the more detailed, the better. “Just allow those different sense impressions and images to sort of roll around inside you and see what comes up,” Buckner says.
Keep track of patterns and recurring symbols that pop up in your dreams.
Tracking recurring patterns and symbols can reveal connections between your daily life and the imagery in your dreams. “Dream journaling is a simple but powerful tool—it builds awareness and can help detect patterns,” Barrett says. Not only can dream recall help make sense of what the subconscious longs to uncover, but like any form of journaling, it provides a way for people to process uncomfortable feelings and emotions.
“Nightmares often emerge when strong negative emotions aren’t fully resolved during waking hours.”— Deirdre Barrett
Talk to a professional about your nightmares.
Finding the right professional to help better understand the context of an anxiety-provoking dream is similar to finding any other healthcare provider.
“There are a lot of different kinds of professionals and approaches out there, and it’s like anything from finding the right hairdresser to finding the right mechanic,” Buckner says. “You want to find the person that you have a good sort of energetic experience with.”
The post The Most Common Types of Anxiety Dreams and What They Actually Mean appeared first on The Daily Beast.
