Doctor Sleep is based on Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name, which is a sequel to King's 1977 novel The Shining. Doctor Sleep, set several decades after the events of "The Shining", combines elements of the 1977 novel and its 1980 film adaptation of the same name, directed by Stanley Kubrick.

"I saw 'The Shining' when I was too young to see it, I was about 10, and it changed me. I saw it at a friend's house, against the wishes of my parents, which made it even scarier and fun. I saw the film before I ever read the book, and I was already very much a constant reader -- I was collecting and immersing myself in Stephen King's work. When I saw 'The Shining', it showed me what was possible with a psychological thriller and what tension in a movie could be," Flanagan said.