This is why you always have the same dream

Have you ever had the same dream or dream over and over again? Experts explain why.

“Recurring dreams can be about very deep life experiences or logic issues that are part of you rather than an event that is somehow guaranteed to recur in waking life. In due course,” says dream researcher and associate professor Deirdre Barrett. Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

It is considered that a dream repeats itself at least twice, which deviates from the norm. Usually these dreams occur months or years apart. These dreams may be exact duplicates, but may repeat the same types of scenes or concerns.

Recurring dreams are very common in childhood.

“Estimating the prevalence of recurring dreams is difficult because it is not something that happens regularly to most people. When people are asked about the dreams they have had in their lifetime, they may be affected by memory distortions, their interest in dreams (or lack thereof), or other factors,” said the senior clinical psychologist. said Dr. Nirid Sofer-Dutek, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety are more likely to have recurring nightmares.

“The brain tries to solve a problem and forget about it. But for people with PTSD, dreams are so vivid that they wake them up from sleep. So, the dream is never implemented. That’s why he keeps coming back – it’s unfinished business,” says Sofer-Dutek.

According to the expert, environmental or biological causes can also lead to recurring dreams.

“For example, people with sleep apnea have dreams of drowning, suffocation, giant waves, suffocation, drowning. In fact, they suffer from disturbed sleep,” he explains.

“There can also be environmental triggers like a car alarm or a dripping faucet on the street,” he added.

Persistent nightmares can also be a result of poor sleep hygiene, according to Dr. Soffer-Dutek.

“Many strange things happen at night because people are sleep deprived, drinking caffeine, drinking alcohol, working late, or because they slept four hours last night and they went to sleep late. And then,” he explains. .