What does it mean when you dream about your daughter being lost in the woods and then you find her under a bunch of dead leaves protecting herself from the sun?

Here is my guess. The woods your daughter is lost in represent her subconsciousness. The dead leaves seem to be old outdated things,approaches or thinking. I think you feel, since this is your dream, that she is hiding in the past or behind things that are no longer useful because she is afraid of stepping out into the light/sun. Maybe she is shy about new growth that is happening in her life and she is unsure or maybe doesn't even want to step into her own power or new experiences. She could feel overwhelmed, hence the need to hide, from whatever the sunlight is to her in her world.

I hope this helps. :) Sometimes people just need a little boost of confidence to step out into the spot light of the sun but once they do they will love the peace of mind, enlightenment and radiant energy that the sun is just waiting to share with them. :)