Spouse (from the living room) and I (from the office) heard Pooka making odd quiet yowling noises. we both immediately headed for the bedroom, where we found him curled up asleep. we gave him gentle pets and quiet reassuring talk, and it didn't take long for him to go into full purr mode complete with bed-kneading.
we can't prevent others from having bad dreams, but we can give comfort and reassurance upon awaking. that's an important lesson to remember for the coming year. <3
(Pooka's health is fine, he had a vet visit a couple of months ago, and he gets regular checkups because he's a Senior Cat. so I'm pretty certain it was bad dreams and not some kind of worrying pain.)