“Do bad dreams mean anything?”
My son in 14 years old and lately has been waking up every night to bad dreams. He sometimes paces around the house to calm himself down. Do they mean anything or is it just a passing phase?
12 Answers
It can, or it can be the result of hormones, age, or your surroundings.
Well, I imagine something is troubling your son. Have you noticed any changes in his daily routines? School success? Friends? Extra-curriculars? This is generally not a phase, so if it persists, I would at least call your family practitioner to have a conversation about what is troubling him.
Geraldine Fee
Psychologist
It could be a phase, but it could be related to events happening in his life. Have him speak to a professional.
Geraldine Fee, Ph.D.
Geraldine Fee, Ph.D.
Not everyone agrees on the "meaning" of dreams. I weigh in on the belief that dreams are the unconscious creation of the dreamer, and therefore reflect something about the dreamer’s feelings. The "passing stage" explanation does not address the feelings of anxiety and agitation. It would be great if your son could feel free to explore these dreams and to learn what they (he himself, of course) is trying to express. A counselor, mental health person, or a trained clergy person could be helpful.
Peace,
Marian Shapiro
Peace,
Marian
Peace,
Marian Shapiro
Peace,
Marian
Age 14 is a very important and difficult age: anxiety about "becoming ", how will I do as a teenager? He may not be conscious of these anxieties but bad dreams do carry a meaning about his experience. They do not foretell the future
You might want to ask your son if he has experienced any trauma lately. I would say give it about two months to see if it goes away if it doesn’t you should definitely take him to a therapist.
Many times it can be connected to anxiety or stress. It depends exactly what the dreams are and what the feelings are he has during them. If they are regularly affecting his sleep and his mood, I would suggest that you get him to a regular counselor. Dr. Gee.
There is no such thing as a bad dream. All dreams are magnificent messages from our subconscious mind to our conscious mind to push us to stop repressing information from our awake-state lives. If something bad or threatening is happening to us and we don't address it, we will continue to have warning dreams. It helps to review the dream for clues. Is the person running, floating, falling, fighting, searching, lost, afraid of abandonment or loss, etc. Such are issues to be addressed that are presently being denied.
Sit with him and discuss his dreams in depth. Let him tell you everything about it. Ask him if it reminds him of anything from his recent life. If he says, "No," ask, "Are you sure?" Then, you can leave it at that. The relevance may surface for him later. If not, rewind and try again. You are his healer. You are his confidante, hopefully. Give him understanding, which may be all he needs. If he is able to tell you something that is disturbing to him, take it seriously. Give empathy. Try not to give criticism, correction, or opinions. Don't rush in to fix anything that he can fix. Listen and try to understand.
Dr. Faye
Sit with him and discuss his dreams in depth. Let him tell you everything about it. Ask him if it reminds him of anything from his recent life. If he says, "No," ask, "Are you sure?" Then, you can leave it at that. The relevance may surface for him later. If not, rewind and try again. You are his healer. You are his confidante, hopefully. Give him understanding, which may be all he needs. If he is able to tell you something that is disturbing to him, take it seriously. Give empathy. Try not to give criticism, correction, or opinions. Don't rush in to fix anything that he can fix. Listen and try to understand.
Dr. Faye
Dreams can be manifestations of what we are anxious about during the day. If they persist, see a psychologist to work through the underlying anxiety issues.
The interpretation of dreams can be tricky as they can be viewed from so many angles. You may want to ask him about the content of his dreams. There may be an underlying theme that can help you determine the right course of action to address his distress.
It’s hard to say but it can easily be a phase in his life. Try not to get worried about it right now. Just observe and see if he is changing and I mean such as depression and things of that matter.
Deborah R. Wagner
Psychologist
It’s hard to tell-it could be either. Fourteen is a turbulent age, so he could be struggling with some issues. If it continues, you may need to bring him to a professional.
