SCIENCE

Why we have recurring dreams and what they mean

According to researcher Deidre Barrett, professor of psychology in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the most common recurring dreams tend to be negative and may take some work to overcome.

It is enough to have the same dream two or more times for it to be considered recurring and the recurrence can also be distant in time.

Recurring dreams may be related to situations that in real life generate worry, nervousness, traumatic events. Often, however, they can also be linked to other situations. (Source: cnn.com)

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Recurring dreams have negative content
According to researcher Deidre Barrett, professor of psychology in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the most common recurring dreams tend to be negative and may take work to overcome. (Source: cnn.com)
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When a dream is considered recurring
It is enough to have the same dream two or more times for it to be considered recurrent and the recurrence may also be distant in time. Recurring dreams can be related to situations that in real life generate worry, nervousness, traumatic events. Often, however, they can also be linked to other situations.
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Understanding the reason behind recurring dreams
While some recurring dreams might be easy to interpret, for others it might be more complicated and this is where a more in-depth analysis is needed. The most common themes of recurring dreams are also anxiety-generating situations such as unpreparedness, feelings of inadequacy and fear. People suffering from post-traumatic stress, for example, often tend to have recurring dreams that generate anxiety.
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Recurring dreams may arise from a physical disorder
Those who have recurring dreams of a certain type may also have physical ailments. This is the case, for example, with sleep apnoea sufferers, who may often have dreams in which they suffocate or drown. Beyond the treatment of the condition in question, one way to try to avoid recurring dreams could be to write down one's worries in a diary before going to sleep.
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Behaviors that would be best avoided
Certain erroneous behaviours may affect the frequency of recurring dreams. These include taking caffeine before going to bed or drinking alcohol, working late or sleeping little in general.
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