History Main / AnxietyDreams

* Happens to Aang repeatedly in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderNightmaresAndDaydreams "Nightmares and Daydreams"]] about his upcoming key role in the invasion of the Fire Nation, and subsequent battle with [[FinalBoss Fire Lord Ozai]]. He tries not sleeping because the
nightmares are so bad, but then he goes into sleep deprivations and [[MushroomSamba starts hallucinating]].

* In ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'', Snoopy dreams of Charlie Brown's flying him like a kite, so that he crashes into the earth and shatters. Waking he blames the 30-inch pizza eaten just before bed.

SuperTrope of NotWearingPantsDream.

* Ai/Shiho from ''Manga/DetectiveConan''. Once she had a dream about Gin knowing her secret identity and watching her and her friends from his car, planning to kill them. Later, when she and Conan find Gins car, Ai is terrified.

* In ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'', Snoopy dreams of Charlie Brown's flying him like a kite, so that he crashes into the earth and shatters. Waking he blames the 30-inch pizza eaten just before bed.

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': Ever since Germany's and Japan's [[CockFight cock fight]] over him, Italy had been having recurring nightmares of the event. They only found out because he began mumbling in his sleep.

* ''Fanfic/TheAlarmaverse'': ''Alarm Clock'': Twice.
** First, Ditzy dreams about the destruction the Eyeless King could wreak. She sees a vision of Equestria reduced to a lifeless wasteland while Carrot Top offers vaguely-Biblical sounding narration.
** Second, Ditzy dreams that she's in a ska band, about to play a career-making live show, but she missed all the band's practice sessions and doesn't how to play the songs. [[NotWearingPantsDream And she's forgot to bring her suit, too.]]

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'', Sirius's anxiety dreams are revealed by his TalkingInYourSleep -- "He's at Hogwarts" -- although inexplicably so only with the knowledge that he just learned [[spoiler:Peter Pettigrew]] was at Hogwarts, ready to strike the moment Voldemort started regaining strength.
* In Creator/EleanorCameron's ''The Court of the Stone Children'', Nina dreams of trying to look up her phone number in the book although they have just moved there and wouldn't be in it. (She's already gotten lost once.)
* In Creator/AdrianTchaikovsky's ''[[Literature/ShadowsOfTheApt Dragonfly Falling]]'', the Emperor has dreams about his sister, his only living relative and so the only other person who could claim the throne.

* In Creator/DevonMonk's ''Literature/MagicToTheBone'', Allie comments on how she does not have them, sleeping on the drive to a friend's, escaping a city where she's suspected of murdering her father.

* In Creator/WenSpencer's ''Literature/{{Tinker}}'', she suffers them regularly, a mix of current events tossed up with a dream [[TheMaze maze]].
* Also by Wen Spencer, in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'' the Princess Rennsaeler has been having {{Past Experience Nightmare}}s about the theater explosion that killed her husband and older sisters. When she falls in love with Jerin, she starts dreaming that he's there too.
* In Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Literature/TheIliad'', he uses an anxiety dream of being unable to flee when chased, or unable to pursue when chasing, as a metaphor for Achilles's chase after Hector, where Hector couldn't get away, and Achilles could not catch him.

* In Creator/SeananMcGuire's ''Literature/OctoberDaye'' novel ''One Salt Sea'', Anceline offers to take Toby swimming ''fast''. Toby says she looks forward to that -- in her nightmares, she thinks.
* In ''Jasper John Dooley: Public Library Enemy #1'', a children's chapter book, the title character has a comic misunderstanding after accidentally ruining a library book, believing that the cost of the book is $2,500. He has a nightmare in which he actually manages to raise the money, only to realize he can't find it anywhere, and then discovers it in the oven, going up in flames just like the book.
* In the ''Literature/DirtyBertie'' story "Pants!", [[ThePigPen Bertie]] makes a bet with [[TheBully Nick]] and loses it, so he has to go to school in his underwear. He then has a NotWearingPantsDream because he's worried about it.
* ''Literature/FrozenIIAForestOfShadows'': Anna has dreams dealing with her abandonment and self-esteem issues. Her dreams include one about being replaced by another version of her with white hair whom her family prefers, and one about her former fiance, who tried to murder her and her family, trying again to marry her again for her title and telling her that her sister doesn't care because she "has no use" for her. These dreams also include [[spoiler:reliving [[AndIMustScream the time she spent frozen as a statue of ice, physically frozen in both senses of the term and how helpless she felt while unable to comfort her sister]]]].

* One late episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' is dedicated to the main characters' anxiety dreams — Frasier dreams that Roz is berating him because his radio booth is full of cobwebs and no one has called in six months, reflecting his worries that his show might be declining as well as his fear of being alone, Niles dreams about accidentally baking his unborn baby into a pie, reflecting his fear that he's going to be a bad father, and Daphne dreams about inflating comically while Niles cheats on her with several supermodels, reflecting her fear that motherhood and age will affect her marriage. Martin, on the other hand, just dreams about singing and dancing with his new girlfriend in the style of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — without his cane.

* In ''Webcomic/PricklyCity'', the voter who cast the deciding vote to elect Kevin, Lost Bunny of the Apocalypse, to the Senate (and get him out of Prickly City), has dreams of his campaign for the presidency -- combining this with bad dreams.

* In ''Webcomic/SandraAndWoo'', [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2012/01/30/0346-the-contender-iv/ Woo dreams of being replaced.]]
* In ''Webcomic/DocRat'', Doc, in a high fever, dreams of being attacked for not being at work -- and then bringing disaster upon them by going to work.
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Grace has [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2016-07-22 a nightmare]] about how her pacifist nature could affect those around her negatively.

* Happens to Aang repeatedly in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderNightmaresAndDaydreams "Nightmares and Daydreams"]] about his upcoming key role in the invasion of the Fire Nation, and subsequent battle with [[FinalBoss Fire Lord Ozai]]. He tries not sleeping because the nightmares are so bad, but then he goes into sleep deprivations and [[MushroomSamba starts hallucinating]].

* PlayedForLaughs in the ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'' episode "[[Recap/MiloMurphysLawS1E04SunnySideUp Sunny Side Up]]." The day that their assignment is due, [[TheSmartGuy Melissa]] and [[CowardlyLion Zack]] both have dreams where they wake up and see the things that they need destroyed, only to act relieved when they ''really'' wake up and see that everything's fine. Then we get a sequence where [[BornUnlucky Milo]] wakes up, sees that everything's fine and comments, "Well, that's peculiar." Then he actually wakes up and sees that a tree has crashed through his window.
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' features this in "The Other Bin Of Scrooge Mc Duck." Lena stays over Scrooge's house in an effort to steal his Number One Dime at the behest of Magica. After learning that he's keeping the dime in his "other bin" for the night, she insists that Webby take her there. Surprisingly everything goes according to plan. Magica gets the dime and turns Webby into a doll which she promptly destroys but as might be suspected it's AllJustADream induced by [[ArtifactOfDoom a dreamcatcher that traps you on your worst nightmare.]] Lena walked through the wrong door.
* In "Too Much Pressure" from the [=PBS=] ''Literature/TheBerenstainBears'', Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister all have their own anxiety dream each on the same night about their overscheduled lives.

* Also by Wen Spencer, in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'' the Princess Rennsaeler has been having BadDreams about the theater explosion that killed her husband and older sisters. When she falls in love with Jerin, she starts dreaming that he's there too.

* In ''Webcomic/PricklyCity'', the voter who cast the deciding vote to elect Kevin, Lost Bunny of the Apocalypse, to the Senate (and get him out of Prickly City), has dreams of his campaign for the presidency -- combining this with BadDreams.

* In Creator/JohnHemry's Literature/TheLostFleet novel ''Invincible'', Geary's BadDreams are mixed with this; he tells Desjani that he dreamed of her death. She tells him that [[HerHeartWillGoOn His Heart Will Go On]] will be his duty.

Unlike BadDreams, this can and usually is overcome by [[FaceYourFears doing the dreaded thing, or getting past it]]. Except where they are one and the same, fueled by a fear of facing MyGreatestFailure again -- in which case facing it will still fix the dreams. Unusually likely to be AllJustADream.

This trope is to DreamingOfThingsToCome as BadDreams is to DreamingOfTimesGoneBy.

* ''Literature/Frozen2AForestOfShadows'': Anna has dreams dealing with her abandonment and self-esteem issues. Her dreams include one about being replaced by another version of her with white hair whom her family prefers, and one about her former fiance, who tried to murder her and her family, trying again to marry her again for her title and telling her that her sister doesn't care because she "has no use" for her. These dreams also include [[spoiler:reliving [[AndIMustScream the time she spent frozen as a statue of ice, physically frozen in both senses of the term and how helpless she felt while unable to comfort her sister]]]].

[[/folder]]

* One late episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' is dedicated to the main characters' anxiety dreams — Frasier dreams that Roz is berating him because his radio booth is full of cobwebs and no one has called in six months, reflecting his worries that his show might be declining as well as his fear of being alone, Niles dreams about accidentally baking his unborn baby into a pie, reflecting his fear that he's going to be a bad father, and Daphne dreams about inflating comically while Niles cheats on her with several supermodels, reflecting her fear that motherhood and age will affect her marriage. Martin, on the other hand, just [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments dreams about singing and dancing with his new girlfriend in the style of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — without his cane.]]

A character who suffers from these may also be experience {{Freudian Slip}}s and BogglesTheMind.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'', Sirius's anxiety dreams are revealed by his TalkingInYourSleep -- "He's at Hogwarts" -- although explicably so only with the knowledge that he just learned [[spoiler:Peter Pettigrew]] was at Hogwarts, ready to strike the moment Voldemort started regaining strength.

* In Creator/JohnHemry's Literature/TheLostFleet novel ''Invicible'', Geary's BadDreams are mixed with this; he tells Desjani that he dreamed of her death. She tells him that [[HerHeartWillGoOn His Heart Will Go On]] will be his duty.

** In the first series, everyone's dreams start to come true. Most are "classic" anxiety dreams such as being in class in one's underpants (Xander), having to sing in public (Willow), losing the ability to read (Giles), and having to sit a test for which she had not taken the class or studied (Buffy).
** In "Restless" Willow dreams that she's turned up for a play (with everyone she's ever known in the audience, including the cast) without having learnt the lines, then she has to deliver a talk in her Season One nerd persona before a classroom full of her jeering friends. Xander's dream involves him going to the toilet, only to find the entire Initiative is watching him and taking notes.
** A more subtle version is in "Hush" when Buffy has an EroticDream of kissing LoveInterest Riley Finn -- except it's taking place in front of an entire class, showing her nervousness about trying to get his FirstKiss.
** Spoofed in "The Zeppo"

* One late episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' is dedicated to the main characters' anxiety dreams — Frasier dreams that Roz is berating him because his radio booth is full of cobwebs and no one has called in six months, reflecting his worries that his show might be declining as well as his fear of being alone, Niles dreams about accidentally baking his unborn baby into a pie, reflecting his fear that he's going to be a bad father, and Daphne dreams about inflating comically while Niles cheats on her with several supermodels, reflecting her fear that motherhood and age will affect her marriage. Martin, on the other hand, just [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming dreams about singing and dancing with his new girlfriend in the style of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — without his cane.]]

Not prophetically -- this trope is to DreamingOfThingsToCome what BadDreams is of DreamingOfTimesGoneBy -- though confusion is possible.

* In Creator/DevonMonk's Literature/AllieBeckstrom book ''Magic to the Bone'', Allie comments on how she does not have them, sleeping on the drive to a friend's, escaping a city where she's suspected of murdering her father.

* In Creator/DevonMonk's ''[[Literature/AgeOfSteam Dead Iron]]'', [=LeFel=] does not sleep because he will only dream of dying, which is near.

* In Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Iliad'', he uses an anxiety dream of being unable to flee when chased, or unable to pursue when chasing, as a metaphor for Achilles's chase after Hector, where Hector couldn't get away, and Achilles could not catch him.
* In Creator/PatriciaAMcKillip's "The Kelpie" Wilding suggests that Emma is sleeping poorly because of these; a future of matrimony and children will give her little chance to paint.

* In Creator/PatriciaAMcKillip's [[Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy The Riddle-Master of Hed]], Raederle is promised in marriage to whoever won the crown. After they learn it was won, and before they learn who it was, she confesses to her brother that she is having dreams of some unearthly bridegroom.

A character has a dream, literal or symbolic, about something he dreads will come true.

!!Examples
[[AC:AnimeAndManga]]
* In ''FruitsBasket'', after Kyo falls asleep recalling his relationship with [[spoiler:Kyoko Honda]], he dreams of her and [[DrivenToSuicide his mother]] and sees [[spoiler:[[MyGreatestFailure Kyoko's dead body]]]]. A brief NightmareSequence culminates with [[spoiler:Kyoko]]'s body turning into [[LoveInterest Tohru's]], and seeing [[TheseHandsHaveKilled blood on his hands]]. He takes it as a sign that he should give up on Tohru, lest he should hurt her [[ItsAllMyFault the same way he seems to hurt everyone else he gets close to]].

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* In ''{{ComicBook/Violine}}'', Violine has one about the identity of her father, fearing that it will turn out to be the series' GreaterScopeVillain, Muller, instead of Francois, who she only just met.

[[AC:FanFic]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fic ''FanFic/AfterThatFatefulNight'', for a time after telling her friends that she chooses to stay with Nightmare Moon, Twilight starts having nightmares about her friends rejecting her.
* In ''FanFic/{{Composure}}'', Princess Celestia has dreams in which her sister becomes Nightmare Moon again and attacks her. It later leads to a mild misunderstanding when she wakes up in a hospital with lightning burns and LaserGuidedAmnesia.
* In the ''Series/{{Glee}}'' fanfic ''FanFic/HuntingTheUnicorn'', Blaine has these kinds of dreams, which turn out to be symbolic.
* In the [[AlternateUniverse AU]] ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' fanfic ''FanFic/{{Symbiosis}}'', Ash starts to have flashbacks of his parents' death and [[spoiler: [[EyeScream Misty having her eyes gouged out by Spearow.]] ]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]
* One late episode of ''{{Frasier}}'' is dedicated to the main characters' anxiety dreams — Frasier dreams that Roz is berating him because his radio booth is full of cobwebs and no one has called in six months, reflecting his worries that his show might be declining as well as his fear of being alone, Niles dreams about accidentally baking his unborn baby into a pie, reflecting his fear that he's going to be a bad father, and Daphne dreams about inflating comically while Niles cheats on her with several supermodels, reflecting her fear that motherhood and age will affect her marriage. Martin, on the other hand, just [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming dreams about singing and dancing with his new girlfriend in the style of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — without his cane.]]
* In the first series of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', everyone's dreams start to come true. Most are "classic" anxiety dreams such as being in class in one's underpants (Xander), having to sing in public (Willow), losing the ability to read (Giles), and having to sit a test for which she had not taken the class or studied (Buffy).

[[AC:Music]]
* In ''FlightOfTheConchords'', Mel has a song about wanting real life to be more like her dreams. Some of the dreams she mentions are stock anxiety dreams, like being naked in public and taking an exam you don't know any of the answers to. (Oddly, this doesn't seem to affect her desire to live in a dream world at all.)

[[AC:Newspaper Comics]]
* In ''RoseIsRose'', the greedy Clem has a nightmare where he shared all the brownies and left none for himself.
* In ''{{Peanuts}}'', Snoopy dreams of Charlie Brown's flying him like a kite, so that he crashes into the earth and shatters. Waking he blames the 30-inch pizza eaten just before bed.

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* Phase of the Literature/WhateleyUniverse has anxiety Dreams regularly, and often wakes up in a sweat from them. They're not prophetic, just symptoms of his stress.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* Happens to Aang repeatedly in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderNightmaresAndDaydreams Nightmares and Daydreams]]", about his upcoming key role in the invasion of the Fire Nation, and subsequent battle with [[FinalBoss Fire Lord Ozai]]. He tried not sleeping because the nightmares were so bad, but then he went into sleep deprivations and [[MushroomSamba started hallucinating]].
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Bloom and Gloom", Apple Bloom has a series of nightmares about bad things happening once she gets her cutie mark; her special talent turns out to be something uncool; she's no longer part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders; and her family rejects her because it doesn't involve apples. There's a hint that an outside force is giving her the dreams, but that turns out to be a RedHerring; it really is just her own anxiety.