Why We Dream About People We Know

It depends on who you're dreaming about and what's going on in your relationship with that person, according to dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg.

If it's someone who is very present in your waking life, such as your partner, child, or someone very close to you, then you might be dreaming about them on a regular basis because your mind is trying to work through or fix something in your relationship with them, Loewenberg says.

"The purpose of dreaming, mostly, is problem solving," Loewenberg says. "If you're dreaming of your child or you're dreaming of your partner, then there may be something going on that is of concern that you want to figure out, but it doesn't mean it's bad. It just means that there's something going on that you're trying to understand better."

It can be important to pay attention to recurring dreams, says dream expert Leslie Ellis, Ph.D., and look for signs that indicate you need to address something in your life.

Dreaming about your partner cheating could mean you're worried about them cheating, but take it with a grain of salt. It doesn't mean that they are cheating, according to Ellis.

"Sometimes dreams reflect our hopes and fears," Ellisa says. "Your dream content says more about you than it does about your partner."

Dreams about infidelity are "really common," says Loewenberg. You could be dreaming about your partner cheating because you've experienced infidelity in the past or because you're having a hard time trusting your partner or even if your partner has been diverting their attention to something else, such as their job or your new baby.

Loewenberg suggests interpreting your dreams metaphorically, not literally.

Having a sexual dream about someone can be really awkward, but you don't have to freak out. Loewenberg suggests playing a "word association" game so you can figure out what your subconscious mind is trying to tell you when you have awkward dreams.

Here's how: What three words do you associate with the person in your dream? Let's use assertive, funny, and smart as examples. You might be dreaming about someone who embodies those qualities because you desire the same qualities in yourself, according to Loewenberg.

"It's usually about something about that person that you desire for yourself. It doesn't mean you want them physically, but something about their life or something about them your subconscious desires and wants you to incorporate into yourself," Loewenberg says.

Fortunately, dreams "rarely" reflect your actual waking life, according to Ellis. It's most helpful to take them as they are: abstract.

So if you have an upsetting dream about someone you know, it's likely not a "warning sign" or anything, Ellis says.

Dreams about death can be some of the scariest, but again, it's best not to take them literally. Death in a dream usually means something is coming to an end or changing, Loewenberg says, in a symbolic way.

For example, if your artistic friend dies in your dream, Ellis says it could symbolize the demise of a creative part of yourself. If you dream about your child dying, Loewenberg says you could be mulling over a milestone, such as your child starting school or learning how to ride a bike. Death represents change.

Not really, but you can work on how you react to bad dreams.

"We all have bad dreams, at times. You can't prevent this any more than you can prevent having bad or uncomfortable experiences in life," Ellis says. "Life can be sweet, but it will also always bring challenging times and with it, dreams that reflect our emotional state."

If you work on viewing your dreams as a "guiding force" or "ally," then you can use them to help you process your waking life, according to Ellis.

"If we turn toward them with an open mind, a lot of dreams that on the surface feel uncomfortable are actually helping us see some things that truly need our attention. If we give these dreams our attention, we will feel better for it and grow to love and appreciate all the dreams that come to us," Ellis says.

Another way to tackle uncomfortable dreams is to reduce your worries in real life by tying up loose ends, Loewenberg advises.