Journal of Psychiatric Research
August 1, 2026
J. Maruani, E. Clerici, Michel Lejoyeux et al.
Nightmares are overrepresented in psychiatric disorders and are strongly associated with suicidality, especially in Major Depressive Episode (MDE). This study had two main objectives: (1) to determine an optimal diagnostic cutoff for the Nightmare Severity Index (NSI) to identify Nightmare Disorder (ND), and (2) to compare the clinical profiles of MDE patients with ND (MDE-ND) and without ND...
L'Encephale
June 1, 2026
Pierre A Geoffroy, Sammy Saadi, Sibylle Mauries et al.
Hyperonirism, or "epic dreaming," is an emerging clinical phenomenon characterized by excessive, vivid, and continuous dream activity associated with non-restorative sleep and daytime fatigue. Despite historical descriptions, it remains poorly defined and unrecognized by current nosological systems. We describe four patients assessed in expert sleep and psychiatry centers, presenting with...
Sleep
May 29, 2026
Julia Maruani, Pierre A Geoffroy
Julia Maruani, Pierre A Geoffroy; Nightmare-Focused Interventions and Suicide Prevention: Clarifying the Role of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy and Prazosin, Sl
L Encéphale
April 9, 2026
Julia Maruani, Emmanuelle Clerici, Marine Ambar Akkaoui et al.
3 citations
BACKGROUND: Nightmare complaints are common among individuals with psychiatric disorders and are associated with significant emotional distress and functional impairment. Despite their clinical relevance, they remain frequently under-recognized and under-treated in psychiatric settings. OBJECTIVE: To offer a pragmatic, clinician-oriented framework for the evaluation and management of nightmare...
Sleep
April 8, 2026
Julia Maruani, Pierre A Geoffroy
2 citations
Nightmares are repeated and lengthy dreams, extremely dysphoric, with clear memory, typically involving life-threatening threats to safety or physical integrity. These nightmares lead to significant distress upon awakening and may substantially impact daytime functioning. Both the experience of these dreams and the sleep disruption produced by the ensuing awakening cause significant impairment...
International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP
2026
Julia Maruani, Nathan Martins, Emmanuelle Clerici et al.
Nightmare Disorder characterized by recurrent dysphoric dreams is strongly associated with major depressive episodes (MDE) and suicidal risk. Imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) is the standard treatment for nightmares, but its effectiveness in individuals with MDE remain understudied. This study evaluated whether IRT is associated with greater improvement in nightmare symptoms compared to sleep...
Journal of Sleep Research
August 21, 2025
Dieter Riemann, Christoph Nissen, Pierre A Geoffroy et al.
Sleep and dreams are frequent themes in science fiction (Sci-Fi) literature and films, often used to explore questions about consciousness, reality, technology and the human experience. Sci-Fi authors and filmmakers utilise the enigmatic nature of sleep and dreams to blur the boundaries between reality and imagination, raising philosophical questions or extrapolating the effects of futuristic...
Brain and Behavior
February 28, 2025
Léa Dobler, Océane Richard, Emmanuelle Clerici et al.
2 citations
INTRODUCTION: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects nearly half of women worldwide and is associated with sleep disturbances, though the specific relationship between PMS and nightmares remains underexplored. Clinical observations suggest a potential link, leading this study to investigate whether women with PMS experience more frequent or intense nightmares compared to those without PMS....
Journal of Sleep Research
May 1, 2024
Pierre A Geoffroy, Émilie Stern, Julia Maruani et al.
This psychometric pilot study aims to evaluate a new multidimensional simple scale, named the nightmare severity index (NSI) - close to the existing insomnia (ISI) and hypersomnia (HSI) severity indexes. The NSI encompasses all main dimensions of nightmare disorder, evaluating four subdimensions: frequency, emotional impact, diurnal impact, and nocturnal impact of nightmares. The NSI was...