He believed that dreams were a window to the dreamer's unconscious and a way for the dreamer to solve problems they were facing in their waking life.
Alfred Adler (1870 to 1937) believed that dreams were problem solving devices, a way to gain control over thoughts from an individual's waking life.
Keep in mind that just because you're experiencing nightmares doesn't mean something bad is going to happen to you during waking life.
Prophetic dreams offer signs of events to come in waking life.
Nightmares are greatly influenced by the particular stressors and anxieties present in the child's waking life.