Struggling with the trauma of his past and the spectral "shining" abilities he's had since childhood, Dan Torrance has drifted for decades, desperate to escape the haunting legacy of his father and the Overlook Hotel. Now an adult, he settles in a New Hampshire town, where he finds a semblance of peace working at a hospice, using his psychic abilities to comfort dying patients, earning the nickname "Doctor Sleep." Meanwhile, his psychic powers reawaken, and he establishes a telepathic bond with Abra, a teenager with her own powerful shine.

Abra and Dan's lives become entwined when she witnesses the ritualistic murder of a boy with similar abilities by a group called the True Knot, led by the enigmatic Rose the Hat. The True Knot sustains themselves by feeding on the "steam" produced by the suffering of those with the shining, particularly children, making Abra their next target. Dan must confront his fears, his past, and the ghosts that continue to haunt him, as he becomes a protector and mentor to Abra in a battle against the merciless Rose and her followers.