Music in dreams: Exploring the frequency and emotional dimension of music-related dreams among music professionals
Psychology of Music March 10, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/03057356261419835 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 37 |
| Population | Music professionals |
| Duration | 14-day dream diary |
| Key findings | About 50% of dreams were music-related, and music dream frequency was higher than in non-musician controls, supporting the continuity hypothesis. No direct relationship was found between daily musical activities and music dream frequency, but negative emotions in music dreams may reflect music-related stress. |
Abstract
Music and dreams have been recurring and meaningful themes throughout human history. Empirical research on the topic of music in dreams is limited, particularly when it comes to studies involving participants with professional musical training. In this study, 37 music professionals participated, reporting a total of 151 dreams in a 14-day dream diary and completing questionnaires to assess their retrospectively estimated music dream frequency, daily musical activities, and music-related stress. We found high percentages of music-related dreams (around 50%), reflecting musicians’ daily engagement with music. As expected, the frequency of music dreams in the musician group was significantly higher than that of non-musician control samples, supporting the continuity hypothesis of dreaming. However, contrary to our expectations, no direct relationship was found between the extent of daily musical activities and the frequency of music-related dreams. In addition, negative emotions in music dreams may have reflected music-related stress in waking life. Future research could investigate the effects of music-related stress on dream content and examine whether stress-reduction interventions can influence the frequency and nature of negative dream experiences in musicians.