Daily Predictors of Psychotic‐Like Experiences in Older Adults: The Role of Sleep Quality, Negative Emotions, and Cognitive Failures
Journal of Sleep Research February 10, 2026 Vivien Tomacsek, Noémi Báthori, Miha Likar et al.
In older adults aged 50-79, poorer subjective sleep quality is linked to more psychotic-like experiences the next day, and this relationship is mediated by negative emotions during the morning and in dreams. Over a 7-day home-based study with 72 participants, those who reported worse sleep quality also reported more subclinical psychotic symptoms the following day, with negative emotions playing a key mediating role. Higher subjective cognitive failures and lower IQ were also associated with more psychotic-like experiences, while objective sleep measures showed no connection. The findings suggest that sleep, emotions, and cognitive function together contribute to daytime psychotic-like experiences in older adults.