Nature and Science of Sleep
August 1, 2022
Brigitte Holzinger, Franziska Nierwetberg, Frances Chung et al.
16 citations
High nightmare frequency (≥1–2 nights/week) rose from 13.24% to 22.35% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors associated with high nightmare frequency included self-reported post-traumatic stress symptoms (OR=2.11), other mental disorders, sleep problems, financial burden, confinement, having had COVID-19, and work situation. Post-traumatic stress symptoms partly mediated the relationship between pandemic-related stressors and nightmare frequency. The authors conclude that the pandemic caused traumatization in a substantial proportion of society and suggest that health care workers screen for nightmares as an indicator of post-traumatic stress symptoms and other disorders.
Journal of Sleep Research
February 1, 2026
Courtney J Bolstad, Bjørn Bjorvatn, Ngan Yin Chan et al.
In a large multi-country survey of 15,854 adults, frequent dream recall (at least weekly) was reported by 54.0% of participants in 2021 and 51.1% in 2019. Frequent nightmares rose from 6.9% in 2019 to 11.0% in 2021, suggesting an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dream recall showed a linear relationship with sleep duration, while nightmare frequency had a quadratic relationship. Prevalence rates varied by age, gender, and country. This is the first multi-continent study to provide these prevalence estimates across 16 countries, including some never studied before.
Journal of Sleep Research
October 1, 2024
Courtney J Bolstad, Brigitte Holzinger, Serena Scarpelli et al.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, suicidal ideation was 2% lower overall than before, while nightmare frequency increased by 4.50%. Data from 9328 individuals across 16 countries showed that suicidal ideation decreased significantly in Austria, Sweden, and Bulgaria but rose non-significantly in Italy and Portugal. Participants with long-COVID reported higher rates of suicidal ideation (21.10%) than those with short-COVID (12.40%), though ideation did not differ by COVID-19 history alone. Nightmare frequency was higher in those with prior COVID-19 (14.50% vs. 10.70%), during active infection (23.00% vs. 8.10%), and in long-COVID (18.00% vs. 8.50%). Frequent nightmares during the pandemic increased the odds of suicidal ideation (OR = 1.
Journal of Affective Disorders
February 1, 2022
Jianyu Que, Le Shi, Wei Yan et al.
Among 16,220 hospital workers in Wuhan, China, surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic, 13.3% reported suicidal ideation in the past month. Exposure to COVID-19-related traumatic events was significantly associated with insomnia severity, nightmare frequency, and suicidal ideation. After controlling for potential confounders, nightmares—but not insomnia, depression, or anxiety—were independent risk factors for suicidal ideation. Pathway analyses indicated that the relationship between traumatic event exposure and suicidal ideation was fully mediated by nightmares, with a proportion mediated of 66.4%. The authors suggest that nightmare intervention might be considered a component of suicide prevention strategies.
Nature and Science of Sleep
January 1, 2021
Eirin Fränkl, Serena Scarpelli, Michael R Nadorff et al.
Dream recall frequency increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels across four continents. In a cross-sectional web survey of 19,355 individuals from 14 countries, high dream recall (three or more nights per week) was associated with female gender, nightmares, sleep talking, sleep maintenance problems, symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder, and repeated disturbing thoughts indicative of PTSD. Older adults aged 55-64 reported less high dream recall than younger participants. While unadjusted analyses showed associations between depression, anxiety, and dream recall, adjusted analyses revealed negative associations: depression and anxiety were linked to lower odds of high dream recall. The findings suggest that the pandemic's emotional intensity is reflected in dreams.
Journal of Sleep Research
June 1, 1999
Yun Kwok Wing, Helen Chiu, Tony Leung et al.
Isolated sleep paralysis, known as 'ghost oppression' in Hong Kong, is common among Chinese elderly over age 70. In a sample of 158 subjects, nearly 18% reported experiences of ghost oppression, with descriptions closely matching sleep paralysis. Onset showed a clear bimodal distribution, with peaks in adolescence and after age 60; at least one-third of cases began late in life. Those with ghost oppression also reported more frequent nocturnal sleep disturbances, consistent with the REM/wakefulness dissociation hypothesis. A family history was reported in 10% of subjects.