Ever wondered why you keep having the same dream?

Explaining what recurring dreams exactly mean, Aishwarya Raj, a clinical psychologist practising in Delhi-NCR, said that they are dreams that occur on a regular basis over time. “These dreams frequently feature the same individuals, scenes, and events, yet may differ slightly from one another. Recurring dreams are not always symptomatic of a disorder, but they may be a sign of unresolved difficulties or anxiety, or may even be a clue that someone is locked in a specific pattern of behaviour or thought,” she told indianexpress.com.

Research also indicates that recurrent dreams in adults are associated with impoverished psychological well-being. Agreeing, Dr Satish Kumar CR, Consultant, Clinical Psychology, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, Bangalore said that dreams are never considered as clinical features for psychiatric and neurological disorders; they are only manifestations of whatever a person is going through in their life. “Whatever a person is going through in the conscious mind, right here right now, will be seen in dreams a couple of times but whatever a person is going through for a long duration, which is not in the conscious but rather in the subconscious mind, will appear to manifest as recurring dreams. They are called unresolved emotional conflicts,” he said, explaining the cause.

One must practise adequate sleep hygiene (Source: Getty Images)

But, who is more likely to experience the same? Dr Kumar said that when there is a situation presented, most of us try to work on it by resolving them. But when a situation is presented and one does nothing about it and waits for time to heal everything, it may lead to people developing unresolved emotional issues. “So when people repress or deny their issues and be passive about them without working on them, they have higher chances of having recurring dreams,” he said.

Raj added that those who experience higher levels of stress and anxiety in their waking life are more likely to experience recurring dreams. It becomes a cause of concern “if the recurring dreams cause distress or interfere with daily life functioning and hamper their thought process”.

“Generally dreams are not remembered most of the time, though we dream regularly. There is nothing wrong with dreaming regularly. Whenever people complain about emotional disturbances due to having bad dreams is when it should be addressed by a psychologist,” Dr Kumar said, suggesting to first write down dreams in a diary in order to remember and then get them interpreted by a psychologist to gain a different perspective of their life.

Agreeing, Raj said that it is important to try and uncover the underlying meaning of one’s recurring dreams in order to make positive changes in life and reduce their influence. “To manage recurring dreams, one can try techniques such as lucid dreaming, dream journaling, and meditation, ideally with the help of a therapist to address any underlying issues and find a solution to the cause. In addition, changing sleep routines like trying to go to bed at a different time, avoiding certain foods or drinks before bedtime, sleeping in a different position, or setting a relaxing bedtime routine to promote a peaceful sleep environment may also help. Practising good self-care and managing stress with regular exercise, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques can calm your mind before sleep which can manage recurrent dreams,” she said.

The expert concluded by saying that managing recurring dreams takes time, patience, and potential help. “One should be persistent and consistent while dealing with them.”

(Next in the series: How to stop having nightmares?)

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