Reliving the crash at night is common in the weeks after a collision. Why it happens, how to settle after a bad dream, and when nightmares need treatment.
November 6, 20262 min read
By Zainab Adesola, BSW, MA, CCC
Why nightmares happen after a crash
After a frightening event, your brain keeps working on it, including while you sleep. Dreams about the crash, or about other kinds of danger, are a common part of that process in the first days and weeks. For many people they fade as the memory settles.
When nightmares keep coming, stay vivid, or make you afraid to go to sleep, they can be a sign of post-traumatic stress, and they’re worth treating.
What a hard night can look like
- Waking suddenly, heart racing, sometimes sweating or shaking
- Dreams that replay the crash, or feel like danger in other forms
- Trouble getting back to sleep
- Dreading bedtime, or staying up late to avoid it
- Feeling tired, irritable and jumpy the next day
Settling after a nightmare
- Remind yourself where you are. Turn on a soft light. Say the date and where you are, and that you’re safe now.
- Ground yourself. Notice your feet on the floor, the feel of the blanket, the sounds of the room. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 trick.
- Slow your breathing. Breathe out slowly, a little longer than you breathe in.
- Get up if you need to. If sleep won’t come, do something quiet in low light, then try again.
Making nights easier
- Keep a steady routine. Regular sleep and wake times help your body settle. See a wind-down routine.
- Go easy in the evening. Skip the news, violent shows and alcohol before bed. Alcohol can make sleep more broken.
- Talk about it during the day. Sharing what happened with someone you trust, when you’re ready, can help the memory settle.
Treatment works
If nightmares continue for more than a few weeks, talk to your doctor or a therapist. Trauma-focused therapies can reduce nightmares along with other post-traumatic stress symptoms. One approach, imagery rehearsal therapy, involves rewriting a recurring nightmare while you’re awake and rehearsing the new version, which can change how it plays out at night.
This article is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. For advice about your situation, talk to your health care provider, your insurer or a lawyer.
Questions
Quick answers.
Are nightmares a sign of PTSD?
Not on their own. They’re common after a frightening event. If they continue for more than a month alongside other symptoms, like flashbacks, avoidance or feeling on edge, talk to a professional.
Will I have to relive the crash in therapy?
Good trauma therapy moves at a pace you can manage, and you stay in control. Many people are surprised by how gradual and supported it is.
Is therapy for nightmares covered after a collision?
Collision-related mental health care can be covered by your auto insurer once a plan is approved. See therapy after a car accident.
Keep Reading
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