Recurring dreams refer to repeated dreams with a similar featured theme, location, or person. They can be enjoyable, distressing—or somewhere in between. There are many different theories about dreams, and no single theory should be considered factual. Recurring dreams may involve unresolved problems that consciously or unconsciously coincide with anxiety, leading those experiencing them to seek relief.
What Are Recurring Dreams?
Recurring dreams are dreams that feel similar in nature. For example, you may experience recurring dreams about your partner cheating on you. Even if the plot or characters differ, a central theme threads through the dream. Or, you might have a recurring dream about your old childhood home. What happens in that home may vary, but the setting remains the same.
There’s no consensus on how often a person needs to experience a similar dream for it to be considered recurrent. However, the dream tends to be frequent enough (probably at least a few times a year) to feel significant. Research shows that falling, fire, being chased, being nude, getting attacked, or failing in school are common topics in recurring dreams.1
Stress Dreams Vs. Recurring Dreams
Stress dreams tend to be acute, focusing on a specific stressor in real-time. They might also occur in response to trauma symptoms. In contrast, recurring dreams are persistent and aren’t inherently triggered by a direct source of stress.
What Causes Recurring Dreams?
Researchers don’t know exactly why we dream. However, events happening in our waking hours likely influence our dream content. Our brain may be synthesizing certain memories and experiences when we dream. While some people value interpreting their dreams, such interpretations may not be as important as the symbolism and feelings evoked after having a certain dream.
Recurring dreams may result from:
- Anxiety
- Unmet needs
- Toxic stress
- Complicated grief
- Relationship anxiety
- Difficulty with transitions
- Trauma
Mental Health Conditions & Recurring Dreams
Certain mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), may increase the risk of having recurring dreams. Research shows that sleep disturbances are a core feature of these conditions.2 While recurring dreams don’t inherently cause mental-health conditions (or vice versa), they could exacerbate certain symptoms.
Recurring Dreams & Other Medical Conditions
Recurrent dreams can also correlate with other medical conditions, including temporal lobe epilepsy,3 narcolepsy, REM behavior disorder, sleep apnea, and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).4 Vivid dreams can also be an adverse effect of certain medications that treat physical and psychiatric health symptoms.
12 Types of Recurring Dreams & Their Meanings
There are many types of recurring dreams that people experience, all of which may hold different and unique meanings. It’s too simplistic to assume that the presence of certain dreams is directly linked to specific concerns. That said, people with anxiety disorders may be more likely to experience anxiety dreams.
Here are 12 common types of recurring dreams:
1. Dreaming of Falling
Falling is one of the ultimate losses of control, especially when the falling is life-threatening (i.e., you’re free-falling out of an airplane). This dream may represent struggles with control, particularly with feeling out-of-control over important aspects of your daily life. The dream may also represent powerlessness, hopelessness, or general uncertainty.
2, Dreaming of Losing Teeth
Dreaming about your teeth falling out can also indicate anxiety in your life. It may also signify loss and grief, whether in the past or the present. The Jewish Talmud constructs this dream as the impending death of a loved one. Freud postulated that this recurring dream was rooted in sexual desire and related to masturbation and castration.5
3. Dreaming of Being Unprepared
This dream can look like needing to take a test you forgot to study for or having a due project you didn’t know about. It may have to do with having too much on your plate and feeling scattered or experiencing self-doubt.
4. Dreaming of Being Chased
This dream may look like being chased by a person holding a knife, gun, or other dangerous weapon, a car, or even a monster, which is more common in childhood. This may have to do with your wanting to run from something in everyday life or indicate that you may already be actively avoiding something causing you distress.
5. Dreaming of an Ex
Dreaming about an ex is very common, regardless of what the specific content entails. Thinking about an ex could be related to current relational distress, feeling uncertain about a change in your life, or simply having your ex on your mind.
6. Dreaming of Dead Relatives
Many people dream about dead loved ones just after a loss, but recurring dreams may also happen. Sometimes visitation dreams are realistic, vivid dreams where you directly interact with your dead relative. Such dreams may involve feeling lonely, coping with trauma, or wanting permission to let go of something.
7. Dreaming of a Specific Person
Dreaming about someone repeatedly may be due to building a new relationship, facing ongoing turmoil or distress, or wanting something deeper with that person (i.e., you have a crush on them). It’s also common to dream about essential people in your life, such as your parents, partner, or children.
8. Dreaming About Death
Death dreams are common, including dreams of you dying, someone else dying, getting diagnosed with a terminal illness, or a dead relative coming back to life. They often speak to the existential reality of mortality, which we all face occasionally. These dreams may also emerge during stressful times when you struggle with your identity.
9. Dreaming About Not Being Able to Talk
Losing your voice or ability to speak can be a recurrent dream topic. This dream may signify struggles with finding your voice in a particular relationship or part of your life. It might also involve feeling silenced by someone important to you.
10. Dreaming About Being Trapped
People may dream about being trapped in a locked room, a house, or a jail. These dreams may represent feeling stuck about something and not knowing how to pull yourself out. The dream may also represent wanting to be tethered down to something, which can happen when people feel directionless.
11. Dreams About Being Naked
This classic dream often entails showing up somewhere without realizing you are naked when everyone else is dressed. This dream speaks to the vulnerability we sometimes feel when we’re in social settings. If you often have your guard up around others, the dream may also represent the desire to “unmask” and be more of your authentic self.
12. Dreaming About Urinating
Dreaming about urinating can be distressing because it sometimes causes people to pee while sleeping. This dream may indicate the desire to release something important in your life. It may also represent wanting to let go of control, whether that need is conscious or not.
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Tips for Stopping Recurring Dreams
Recurring dreams aren’t a sign of a mental health problem, but they can be uncomfortable and, at times, frightening. Managing stress during your waking hours may help you if you’re prone to having nightmares. It’s also important to establish a healthy bedtime routine that promotes a sense of unwinding and relaxation.
Tips for reducing or stopping recurring dreams include:
Exercise
While the physical health benefits are obvious, there are also many mental health benefits of exercise. Pleasant physical activity can reduce stress and instill more confidence and joy in daily life. While these benefits may not directly affect how you dream, they can improve your mental health, thus changing your dream content.
Taking a Social Media Break
Taking a social media break can help if you feel increasingly overwhelmed or upset during the day. Social media may exacerbate self-esteem struggles, anxiety, and depression symptoms if you’re already predisposed to these issues. At the very least, consider putting down your phone at least 1-2 hours before going to bed.
Use Healthy Coping Mechanisms
Healthy coping mechanisms include adaptive skills that help treat stress and cultivate greater emotional well-being. These coping mechanisms may include creative outlets like journaling, artwork, and photography, as well as distraction techniques, such as cleaning or taking a shower and reaching out to prosocial support. It’s essential to practice these skills often, as doing so will make them feel more routine and second nature.
Treat Underlying Conditions
Managing underlying conditions that coincide with disruptive dreams, like narcolepsy or sleep apnea, can make a noticeable difference in your sleep quality. If you’re unsure whether you have a medical issue or if you have some concerns about specific situations, request a screening from your doctor. It’s often helpful to get lab work done as a preliminary assessment.
Practice Relaxation Exercises
Some people find it helpful to practice relaxation exercises as they get into bed. Such exercises may include deep breathing, positive visualization (imagining a safe and/or serene place), progressive muscle relaxation, or structured meditation. These grounding techniques can also be helpful for calming down if you wake up from a dream feeling anxious.
Talk to a Loved One
It can be beneficial to share certain dreams with loved ones. This doesn’t “fix” the dreams, but it may help them feel less shameful or taboo. You will likely find that others relate to having recurring dreams, and leaning on that common humanity can be validating if you feel alone in your experiences.
Keep a Dream Journal
Dream journals can be helpful for tracking themes within your dream content, frequency, and mood states. This may offer insight into why you’re having recurring dreams. If you’re working with a therapist, you may also choose to share this journal in your sessions.
When to Seek Professional Help
Recurring dreams aren’t necessarily problematic. But if you experience ongoing distress due to specific dream content, or recurring dreams that turn into recurring nightmares that affect your sleep and your daytime functioning, you may have nightmare disorder and it may be helpful to speak to a mental health professional. Underlying mental health concerns like anxiety, PTSD, or depression may aggravate sleep disturbances. If you’re struggling, therapy offers support, guidance, and practical solutions.
In addition, therapy can help you better understand your dreams and manage the stress that coincides with them. You can find the right provider by asking your doctor for a referral, checking in with friends or family, or using this online therapist directory.
In My Experience
People don’t generally seek therapy specifically due to their dreams. But as therapy unfolds, it’s common for clients to open up more about their dreams and share the ones that trigger a sense of dread, anxiety, or uncertainty. Talking about these dreams can help clients better understand themselves and their circumstances. This, in many ways, can offer a profound path to healing.
Recurring Dreams Infographics
