Having the same dream, again and again, may be seen as odd. However, this is very common. Between 60% and 75% of American adults experience reoccurring dreams. One dream that may seem familiar to you is falling, the most common reoccurring dream, with about 53% of Americans having this same dream. So what are some of the most common recurring dreams?

Most common recurring dreams

• Falling
• Flying
• Car crashes
• Looking for a toilet
• Being overwhelmed by house maintenance
• Not being able to speak
• Losing teeth
• Being attacked
• Public nakedness
• Returning to school
• Being unprepared for school or work
• Being chased or trapped
• Finding new rooms in the home or a familiar building

You may recall having at least one of these dreams. However, no matter how normal the dream might be it always leads back to the same question, what do recurring dreams mean? Although recurring dreams are routine for some people and can be positive, some of these dreams can also be seen as distressing and negative. You can often take these dreams and identify how you may be feeling.

“These dreams go deeper than what you may think and may be a part of yourself or a part of your personality,” says Phycologist Peter Loewenberg. Loewenberg explains that there are two different reasoning for recurrent dreams or “Subconscious Deja Vu”. One reason is, regardless of the dream’s content, may point toward underlying issues. These issues may be unmet needs, areas of frustration, or even issues from the past that are yet to be addressed. Loewenberg’s other reason for recurrent dreams is reoccurring behavior that happens throughout your day.

Reoccurring Dreams and Mental Disorders

However, dreams can go much deeper than that. Recurrent dreams have been associated with lower levels of psychological well-being and the occurrence of symptoms of anxiety and depression. This comes to notice when thinking about post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) people with this disorder can be more likely to have reoccurring dreams reliving the trauma they have experienced. as they are one of the symptoms of PTSD.

Though recurring dreams are a totally normal part of sleep, for some people it can be very hard to live with. Some might seek help in therapy, exercise, maintaining a good sleep schedule, and more.

To hear more about the reasoning behind Recurrent dreams here is an article on Loewen burgs perspective: