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Dreams & Anxiety

As early as 1900, psychologists and neurologists, including Sigmund Freud, were interested in learning the meanings of dreams. A little later, Carl Jung, the father of analytical psychology, theorized that dreams represent a direct route of communication between the conscious and unconscious mind. While psychologists and other health care professionals today may disagree about particular interpretations of dreams, most agree that issues we face in our waking lives--especially anxiety--can affect us when we sleep.

  1. Anxiety Affects Dreams

    • While most adults suffer nightmares at some point in their lives, according to WebMD, between 2 and 8 percent of the adult population is plagued by nightmares, meaning that they have them frequently and that they affect overall sleep and well-being.

      Anxiety and depression can cause nightmares, as can post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Certain medications--including some antidepressants--can also cause nightmares.

      A Canadian study reported in the journal Sleep in 2000 about the development of disturbing dreams in adolescence and their relation to anxiety concluded that "the frequent recall of disturbing dreams is associated with pathological symptoms of trait anxiety--apparently even as young as 13 years of age." The study also found that girls were more likely to recall bad dreams than boys.

    Common Types of Anxiety Dreams

    • While females at all ages are more likely than males to recall bad dreams, women and men report having the many of the same types of anxiety dreams. Some of the most common dreams caused by anxiety are dreams of being chased, falling, losing teeth and being naked in a public place.

    Common Anxiety Dreams Analyses

    • There are a variety of potential analyses presented for the most common anxiety dreams, but most are attributed to feeling out of control (being chased or falling), less attractive than you used to be (losing teeth), vulnerable and unprepared (being naked in public).

    Why Dreams Matter

    • If Jung was right and dreams are windows between the conscious and unconscious minds, they can alert us to problems in our lives, so we can deal with them and move on. Also, through sleep and dreaming, people restore themselves and store memories.

    Ways to Prevent Anxiety-Related Nightmares

    • People suffering nightmares should start by pinpointing the cause. If medication is the culprit, they should talk to their doctors to see if another medicine is appropriate. If the nightmares aren't related to medication or other illness, sufferers should try keeping a regular wake/sleep schedule, exercising, avoiding food and drink before bed and practicing yoga and meditation.

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