Impact of attachment styles on dream recall and dream content: a test of the attachment hypothesis of REM sleep
Journal of Sleep Research June 9, 2001 Patrick Mcnamara, Jensine Andresen, Jill Clark et al.
People with insecure attachment styles are more likely to recall dreams and report more intense, emotional dream imagery than those with secure attachment. In one study, college students high on an insecure attachment scale reported more frequent dreams and stronger emotional content than those low on the scale. In a second study of 76 older adults, those with a 'preoccupied' attachment style recalled dreams more often and with more words than those with secure, avoidant, or dismissing styles. Avoidant participants had the lowest dream recall. The findings suggest that REM sleep and dreaming may help support attachment processes.