Basic Trope: A character has recurring nightmares because something is seriously wrong.
- Straight: Alice has repeated nightmares about killing Bob because they were in an accident in which he almost died and she feels responsible.
- Exaggerated:
- Alice has the exact same nightmare of killing Bob whenever she sleeps.
- The whole cast gets recurring nightmares, each for a different, but equally serious, reason.
- Downplayed: Alice has recurring nightmares of doing badly at her college final because she's worried about it.
- Justified: Alice has recurring nightmares because she witnessed a traumatic event related to Bob's accident and her subconscious mind is processing the emotional distress.
- Inverted: Alice has dreams of saving Bob because of a time she accidentally saved his life.
- Subverted: Alice keeps dreaming of killing Bob. It seems like it will lead somewhere, but it doesn't.
- Double Subverted: Alice keeps dreaming of killing Bob. Charlie speculates that it must be due to guilt over the accident, but it's not... it's actually because there are demons nearby influencing her dreams.
- Parodied: Alice has one "Not Wearing Pants" Dream after the other, but they don't bother her too much, yet everyone insists that it's either some deep-seated psychological issue or the work of a supernatural entity.
- Zigzagged: Alice has recurring nightmares of killing Bob, but it's left unclear as to why. Bob thinks she feels guilty about the accident, but there are strange happenings at her house which suggest the work of demons, while Charlie thinks Alice has some sort of dream-related psychological condition.
- Averted:
- Alice does not have any nightmares.
- Alice's nightmares only crop up occasionally and don't have a theme.
- Enforced: "We need to show that Alice is still processing her guilt, but we can't give her PTSD since I have no idea how to write someone with PTSD. Let's just give her recurring nightmares."
- Lampshaded: "Ugh, not another dead Bob nightmare!"
- Invoked: An evil Dream Weaver deliberately gives characters recurring nightmares.
- Exploited: Alice realizes that her recurring nightmares about killing Bob can be used as a way to manipulate him. She pretends to be deeply affected by the dreams and uses them to guilt-trip Bob into doing things for her.
- Defied: Alice actively works to prevent or overcome her recurring nightmares. She seeks therapy, practices relaxation techniques, or uses medication to manage her sleep patterns and reduce the frequency or intensity of the nightmares.
- Discussed: "This accident wasn't your fault, Alice. I hope it doesn't give you recurring nightmares or anything like that."
- Conversed: "Uh-oh, that character's had the same nightmare for three days running. That's never a good sign."
- Implied: Alice is often heard saying, "No! Don't die, Bob!" in her sleep.
- Deconstructed: The recurring nightmares take a toll on Alice's mental and emotional well-being. They disrupt her sleep, cause anxiety and paranoia, and affect her daily life, leading to a downward spiral of deteriorating mental health.
- Reconstructed: While Alice initially struggles with her recurring nightmares, she eventually learns to confront and understand the underlying issues they represent. Through therapy and self-reflection, she gains insight into her guilt and trauma, and finds ways to heal and move forward.
- Played for Laughs: Alice's recurring nightmares are depicted in a comical and exaggerated manner. The situations and scenarios in her dreams are absurd and nonsensical, providing comedic relief rather than generating fear or distress.
- Played for Drama: Alice has PTSD and the nightmares are just one symptom.
- Played for Horror: An Emotion Eater that feeds on fear deliberately gives Alice the same nightmare every night so it can feed on her fear.
Back to Plagued by Nightmares.
