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Recurring dreams and nightmares: why they come back

The recurring dream often follows a tension that sets in: it insists as long as the situation it stages stays unresolved.

  • Repetition
  • Tension
  • Relief
The essentials

Recurring dreams and nightmares at a glance

For you, the important thing is to spot what brings it back, and to ask for help if your nights become painful.

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Why a dream comes back

A majority of adults say they have had at least one series of recurring dreams: a failed exam, a collapsing house, a chase, teeth falling out. Antonio Zadra’s work often links them to periods of tension, and they tend to space out when the situation resolves. Of 212 recurring dreams analyzed by his team, about two thirds contained a threat, rarely a realistic one. The dream comes back like a question left open.

When the dream becomes a nightmare

A nightmare wakes you, with a clear fear or sadness and a precise memory. It happens to everyone, especially in difficult periods. Isolated nightmares say nothing serious. They weigh on you when they come back often, spoil your nights, or make you dread falling asleep: that is the sign that support can really help, with no shame in seeking it.

What can help

Note each return of the dream with the date, the emotion, and what was happening the day before: the trigger often appears. One studied method proposes, while awake, rewriting the end of the dream your own way, then mentally rehearsing this new version for a few minutes a day. A 2001 trial observed fewer restless nights; more recent work is more nuanced. For frequent nightmares or ones linked to a violent event, a sleep or counseling professional is the right person to turn to.

Facts and sources

  • A majority of adults say they have experienced at least one series of recurring dreams; these are often linked to a period of stress. A. Zadra, “Recurrent dreams: Their relation to life events,” in D. Barrett (ed.), Trauma and Dreams, Harvard University Press, 1996, pp. 231–247; Wikipedia (en), “Recurring dream”
  • Of 212 recurring dreams analyzed, about two-thirds contained at least one threat; most of these threats were not realistic. A. Zadra, S. Desjardins, É. Marcotte, “Evolutionary function of dreams: A test of the threat simulation theory in recurrent dreams,” Consciousness and Cognition, 15 (2), 2006, pp. 450–463
  • One studied method consists of rewriting the scenario of a nightmare while awake, then mentally rehearsing the new version; a 2001 trial observed fewer nights with nightmares, more recent work is more nuanced. B. Krakow et al., JAMA, 286 (5), 2001, pp. 537–545; J. M. Cook et al., Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2010 (more mixed results)

A dream is read as a mirror of what you are living, never as an omen: no reading here predicts anything at all.

Recurring dreams and nightmares: your questions

Why do I always have the same nightmare?

A nightmare that returns often picks up a fear or a situation not yet settled. Recording it at each return often brings its trigger to light. If it spoils your nights or follows a difficult event, talking to a professional helps you find ways to calm it.

Does a recurring dream announce something?

No. It foresees nothing: it speaks of what you are living or of what marked you. Its repetition mostly signals a concern that lasts. When that resolves, the dream often spaces out on its own.

What should you do right after a nightmare?

Turn on a soft light, breathe slowly, and remind yourself where you are. Writing the dream in a few lines helps put it at a distance. If the fear persists or returns every night, call someone you trust or, in distress, see the helplines listed on this page.

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