Anxiety Dreams: What They Are, Causes, & How to Stop Them

What Are Anxiety Dreams?

Anxiety dreams are an informal term used to describe bad dreams that trigger discomfort and unease. Unlike a nightmare, an anxiety dream usually doesn’t result in a person waking up, but can still have lingering effects on one’s mood. The specific content of an anxiety dream varies from person to person, but can include a wide range of themes.

Common examples of anxiety dreams include:

• Natural disasters like tornadoes, storms, or hurricanes
• Experiencing an accident, illness, or injury
• Being attacked, threatened, or followed by predatory animals or other creatures
• Violence or being attacked or assaulted by someone
• Financial hardships like losing a job, going bankrupt, or being evicted or foreclosed on
• Wars, terrorist attacks, and bombings
• Dreaming about someone you know, such as having loved ones dying or being harmed or injured
• Being betrayed or abandoned by a loved one or significant other
• Developing a severe mental illness or going insane
• Failing, making mistakes, or forgetting something important

Many psychologists believe that dreams are compilations of old and more recent memories.¹ While there isn’t a consensus in the field, some also believe they provide insight into a person’s mental and emotional state. It is also sometimes theorized that dreams help consolidate information, store memories, and regulate the nervous system.³

Recent research suggests that anxiety dreams may help people rehearse difficult and frightening situations in order to feel calmer and more prepared for real life. After experiencing anxiety dreams, some may be better able to regulate their anxiety and stress in difficult situations.⁶

What Causes Anxiety Dreams?

There isn’t one singular cause of anxiety dreams, but researchers have found a number of factors that increase the risk of having them. For example, several studies suggest that people with high levels of stress, PTSD or anxiety disorders are more likely to struggle with anxiety dreams.^4,6,7

Sleep problems and disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, sleep paralysis, and REM sleep disorders can also trigger anxiety dreams. In other instances, anxiety dreams may be associated with adverse effects of a prescribed or illicit drug.^1,4,6,7

Possible causes of anxiety dreams include:

• Stress and personal hardships: When people are experiencing high levels of toxic stress related to personal hardships (i.e. financial stress, relationship conflicts, or work problems), their dreams are often more disturbing than usual.^1,8
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Bad dreams and nightmares, sometimes recurring nightmares, are common symptoms of PTSD, and can occur years after the traumatic event. Some studies suggest that up to 80% of people diagnosed with PTSD have had anxiety dreams.^1,3
• Anxiety disorders: Having an anxiety disorder (i.e. specific phobia, panic disorder, etc.) increases the likelihood of having bad dreams that feature stressful or anxiety provoking themes like failure, rejection, and misfortune.⁸ Many find that anxiety dreams occur more frequently during times when their anxiety symptoms are more active or intense.¹
• Insomnia or poor sleep: Insomnia, sleep deprivation, and poor quality of sleep can have several detrimental effects, including making people more prone to nightmares and anxiety dreams.^1,3 Most sleep disorders (i.e. narcolepsy, circadian rhythm and REM sleep disorders, etc.) significantly increase the risk of having anxiety dreams.²
• Breathing problems in sleep: People who struggle with sleep apnea or long pauses in breathing while sleeping are more likely to have disturbing dreams. Some studies have found a connection between heavy snoring and dreams, and many people with these problems have anxiety dreams of being suffocated or smothered.²
• Illicit or prescribed drugs: Certain prescribed and illicit drugs can cause bad dreams. CNS depressants like benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and even alcohol all influence brain chemicals involved in REM sleep, and can make people more likely to have anxiety dreams. Anxiety dreams can also be a withdrawal symptom when they’re experienced after a person stops taking one of these medications.^1,4

What Do Anxiety Dreams Mean?

Interpreting dreams has been a controversial part of psychology for several decades. Dreams are believed to be pieces of memories stitched together in story format. Some think the way they’re put together is random and meaningless while others believe there’s symbolic significance to them.

Not enough is known to draw any final conclusions about what anxiety dreams mean, and any meaning they might carry is probably highly individualized to the dreamer.³ While it’s possible to have realistic dreams that mirror parts of your waking life, most dream analysts believe that dreams are more symbolic than literal.

Research also shows that emotions influence the content of dreams, and many dreams are mood-congruent.⁷ For example, stress, anxiety, and PTSD are known to make bad dreams and nightmares more likely. This suggests a simple explanation for what anxiety dreams mean–a person having them is feeling anxious or under a lot of stress.

How to Cope with Anxiety Dreams

Many may feel disturbed by anxiety dreams or even experience nocturnal panic attacks, a fear of sleep, or insomnia as a result of them.⁹ While you can’t completely control your dreams, lowering your stress and anxiety levels often helps reduce the frequency and intensity of anxiety dreams.^1,4 There are also some sleep hygiene tips that can help you regulate your sleep schedule or get back to sleep after having a bad dream or nightmare.

Here are five tips on healthy ways to cope with anxiety dreams:

1. Practice Relaxation & Mindfulness

Relaxation and mindfulness exercises can lower stress and anxiety, which can result in a positive ripple effect that also improves your sleep. Starting a daily routine that involves deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or mindfulness activities can help you de-stress and calm down. This will make it easier to get to sleep or fall back asleep after a bad dream, and may even decrease the number and intensity of anxiety dreams you have.¹⁰

2. Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule

You’re more likely to have anxiety dreams when you’re not getting enough good, restorative sleep. A good night’s sleep is also highly beneficial for your mental health, and can help to lower your daytime anxiety as well. This is why it’s so important to have a consistent sleep schedule that allows you to get the recommended seven to nine hours each night.¹⁰

3. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene involves a set of healthy habits that are proven to improve your sleep quality.¹⁰

• Be physically active and get outside during the day
• Sleeping in a cool, dark, and quiet room
• Starting a relaxing nightly ritual to unwind before bed
• Silencing unnecessary notifications
• Limiting blue light from screens one hour before bed
• Get out of bed and do something instead of tossing and turning
• Avoid late night exercise, eating, and alcohol or caffeine intake

4. Do a ‘Brain Dump’ Before Bed

A lot of people who have a hard time getting to sleep because of anxiety find that their mind races when they lie down at night. If this happens to you, try keeping a pen and paper by your bed and doing a quick “brain dump” when you can’t fall asleep. Write down everything that’s on your mind (i.e. tomorrow’s to-do list, ideas, etc.) to quiet noisy thoughts. You can also try writing down bad dreams that wake you up as a way to calm down and fall back asleep.

5. Try Guided Meditations & Visualization Exercises

Guided meditations and visualization exercises are great for unwinding and getting into a sleepy and relaxed state. A lot of people find that meditation apps like Headspace and Calm are a great bedtime routine that makes it easier to fall asleep.¹⁰ These exercises work by helping you focus on things that are calming instead of any anxious or worried thoughts.

Treatment for Anxiety Dreams

While it’s normal to occasionally have bad dreams, seeking professional help is sometimes necessary. This is especially true if your anxiety dreams become frequent, wake you up at night, interfere with your sleep, or cause you further distress or anxiety.⁹ Many people begin by finding a therapist who can work with them on lowering their stress or help identify other emotional causes of their dreams.

In some cases, anxiety dreams can be a sign of a mental health disorder. A diagnosis is suspected when there’s a history of past trauma or when one’s bad dreams cause significant distress or impairment.^5,9 The type of therapy needed depends on the underlying issue causing the person to have bad dreams.

Common therapies to help people struggling with anxiety dreams include:

• Cognitive therapy: Imaginal Confrontation with Nightmare Contents (ICNC) or Imagery Rehearsal & Rescripting (IRT) are two cognitive therapy techniques that help desensitize someone to the distressing parts of their dreams. Treatment also involves helping someone change disturbing parts of their dreams and review these before bed as a way to ‘rescript’ anxiety dreams.^1,5
• Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i): CBT-i is another type of cognitive behavioral therapy that’s specifically designed to help people who struggle with insomnia and sleep disorders. In CBT-i, a therapist helps clients identify and change thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are interfering with their sleep.¹¹
• Trauma-informed therapies: Many people who have anxiety dreams have a trauma history or PTSD diagnosis, and may benefit from a trauma-informed therapy approach. Trauma therapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), EMDR, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) are all proven to help reduce the symptoms of PTSD.¹¹
• Mindfulness and relaxation training: When anxiety dreams are caused by stress and anxiety, seeing a therapist who incorporates mindfulness and relaxation training into their approach can be helpful. These exercises can include meditation, breathing, and muscle relaxation techniques that help to de-activate the nervous system and reduce stress and anxiety levels.¹¹

In some cases, medication in addition to therapy is needed to address insomnia, anxiety, or other mental health symptoms. If you’re already taking any prescribed medication for sleep or anxiety, talking with your prescriber is a good idea. Sometimes, a change in the type or dosage of your medication will help with your bad dreams.^1,4

Final Thoughts

While it’s normal to occasionally have anxiety dreams, professional help may be needed when they become frequent or severe enough to interfere with your sleep or daytime functioning.^1,4,5 The treatment for anxiety dreams depends on their underlying cause, but can involve therapy or medication when necessary. However, maintaining good sleep hygiene often improves your sleep and reduces the number of anxiety dreams you have.^4,5,11