What Does It Mean When You Hear Knocking in Your Sleep?

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Spiritual teacher Mari Cartagenova's insight on the nighttime phenomenon

Co-authored by Pam Muller and Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: December 13, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Spiritual Meaning
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• Biblical Meaning
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• What to Consider
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• What to Do
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• Tips

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You're fast asleep, only to be awoken by a knock at the door…but there's nobody there—or is there? Some people believe that there's spiritual significance to hearing knocking in your sleep, and in this article, we'll explore what experiencing this phenomenon could mean for you and your spiritual well-being, with help from spiritual teacher and medium Mari Cartagenova and intuitive psychic medium Jason Zuk. We'll also dive into the possible religious significance of hearing knocking in your sleep, and what to do if you hear knocking at night.

Meaning of Knocking in Your Sleep

Spiritual teacher and medium Mari Cartagenova says if you hear knocking in your sleep, it may mean someone from the spirit world is trying to connect with you, like an angel, a ghost, or the Holy Spirit. It could also be a sign that you need to pay attention to your spiritual well-being.

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Section 1 of 4:

Spiritual Meaning of Hearing Knocking in Your Sleep

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   The spirit of a loved one is trying to connect with you. When you hear knocking at your door or window in the night, or hear knocking in your dreams, it could be a sign someone from the spirit world is trying to reach you. "This could be your spirit loved ones [or] it could be pets," Cartagenova notes.

   • "I believe personally that the veil between the afterlife and the living is thinnest when we're asleep," adds intuitive psychic medium Jason Zuk. This could be why a loved one's spirit may be more likely to try to reach you while you're asleep than when you're awake.
   • They may want to tell you something important or ask you to do something for them to help them move on—or they may want to let you know that they're safe and that they miss you.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Mari Cartagenova is a psychic medium based in Massachusetts. She loves to share her psychic gifts and abilities to help others. She specializes in mediumship, intuitive psychic guidance, past life or soul reading, and animal communication.

   Jason Zuk is a psychic medium based in Florida. He has almost 20 years of experience and has worked professionally as a psychic medium for six years.
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   Your spiritual guides are trying to reach you. Knocking at night may be coming from "your spirit communicators, guides or angels," says Cartagenova. "They are trying to get your attention." Your spirit guides, guardian angels, or the universe itself may be trying to send you a message and bring you into fuller spiritual awareness. Knocking from spiritual guides may indicate:

   • Spiritual awakening: Hearing knocking may be a sign that your third eye is opening, and your spiritual consciousness is expanding.
   • Change on the horizon: Knocking in your sleep may portend major life transitions coming around the corner, such as a death, a new job, a new relationship, or some other unexpected change.
   • Warnings: Hearing knocking at night may be a warning or premonition that danger is around the corner, or that you must mentally, emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually prepare for trouble coming your way.
   • A reminder that you're not alone: You may hear knocking in your sleep as the universe's way of reminding you we are all connected, across the planes of existence, and that there is a divine plan for you.
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Section 2 of 4:

Biblical Meaning of Hearing Knocking in Your Sleep

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   Hearing knocking could mean God is trying to get your attention. There are a number of Bible verses about God knocking—literally or figuratively—on people's doors in order to commune with them, including Revelation 3:20 ("Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me") and 1 Samuel 3 (in which the Lord calls to young Samuel three times in his sleep). If you hear knocking at night and can't determine the source, it may be God or the Holy Spirit trying to tell you something. Here are some possible reasons the Lord may knock in your sleep:

   • The Lord wants you to follow him. Hearing knocking—and, more importantly, responding to it—is a show of faith in and loyalty to God. God knocking at your door may be a test of your devotion.
     • As Luke 13:25 cautions, answer the door when God knocks, or He may not answer it for you: "When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you.'"
   • The Lord wants to reveal Himself to you. The Lord may knock to reward you for your faith—in essence, He may "prove" His existence to you by knocking, in return for your devotion and faithfulness.
   • The Lord wants to bestow favor upon you. If the Lord knocks and you answer, He may bless you. This may function as a reversal of the traditional order of things, in which we "knock" on God's door by praying.
     • As Matthew 7:7–8 says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
   • The Lord may be warning you. The Lord may wake you with knocking to warn you that something needs your attention, whether regarding your spiritual well-being or physical safety.

Section 3 of 4:

What to Consider

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   Pay attention to how many knocks you hear. Different numbers of knocks may carry different spiritual meanings. Here are some common meanings associated with different numbers of knocks:

   • Two knocks: The number 2 signifies balance, peace, and duality. Hearing two knocks may indicate a "yes" to a question you've been wondering about.
   • Three knocks: The number 3 signifies wholeness or divine completion, as it is associated with the Biblical trinity, as Cartagenova says.
   • Some people believe hearing three knocks is a sign someone close to you is going to die soon. The knocks may be coming from their spirit shortly before it passes into the next world.
   • Five knocks: The number 5 is associated with freedom and transformation. This could be a sign you're experiencing a spiritual transformation, or that a period of difficulty has passed.
   • Learn more about numerology and the spiritual significance of different numbers by using our numerology guide.
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   If the knocking wakes you up, observe the time of night. If you wake up from the knocking, note what it says on your clock. Being woken up at certain times may hold special significance—especially if you're regularly woken up or hearing knocks at the same time. "If you are consistently up at a certain time, then that is definitely a message from the spirit world trying to get your attention," Cartagenova stresses. "And if it's the same time every night, then you also might want to look into the numerology of the number."

   • "If you're waking up at the same time or [at a time with] repeating numbers—say you wake up at 2:22 in the morning or 3:33 or whatever—those are ways that our spirit loved ones [including] an animal, [or an] angel or spiritual guide form are trying to get your attention," says Cartagenova.
   • For example, since the number 3 is associated with the Holy Trinity, Cartagenova says hearing three knocks or waking up at 3 in the morning may mean "you really want to take a look at your spiritual development and how you are going to move forward with that."
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   Note how quick and intense the knocking is. Is someone urgently pounding on the door, or are they politely tapping against a window pane? The quality and speed of the knocks may tell you if the spiritual message is a serious and pressing one, or if someone wants to extend a casual invitation to connect from the astral plane. If the knocking is urgent, try not to worry—urgent knocking doesn't typically mean a spirit is dangerous; on the contrary, they're likely trying to warn you about something to keep you safe. For instance:

   • You may need to reconsider a decision you've made or are about to make.
   • A relationship you have with someone may not be serving you.
   • Your emotional or spiritual well-being needs some attention.
   • There's negative energy in your space that needs cleansing.
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Section 4 of 4:

What to Do if You Hear Knocking in Your Sleep

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   Ask, "Who is there?" and open your heart to the spirit world. Regardless of what entity from the spirit realm may be trying to reach you, the odds are that they carry positive energy—after all, they've knocked, while dark entities are more likely to barge in without permission! Still, experiencing something like this can be frightening. Summon your courage, open your heart and mind, and accept the invitation to connect if you wish to see what message is in store for you.

   • If you believe God is contacting you, consider doing as the old prophet Eli told young Samuel to do in 1 Samuel 3, when God came calling Samuel in the night: "Say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" By doing this, you may open your heart up to the message the Holy Spirit has for you.
   • If you're new to communing with spirits, you may doubt what they're telling you or believe it's all just in your head. Cartagenova stresses that this is normal, but advises: "Trust the information that you're getting. And it doesn't mean that you're never wrong or that you're God and you know everything, but you have to start trusting because that's how you build your psychic muscle."
   • You are, of course, free to ignore the knocking sounds and go back to sleep. Eventually, the sounds may intensify if a spirit really has something important to say—or they may give up and leave you be.

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Tips

• Hearing knocking or other loud noises in your sleep is sometimes associated with a medical condition known as exploding head syndrome. The condition isn't dangerous, and there's no treatment for it, but if you suspect you have it, consult with your physician for management advice.
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• Be sure the noises you're hearing aren't coming from any real-life cause, like someone actually knocking on your door, a tree branch tapping your window, plumbing issues, or something else.
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