Sleep
May 1, 2026
Westley Youngren, Victoria West Staples, Emma Angle et al.
Abstract Introduction Targeted Dream Incubation (TDI) is the process of giving an individual auditory cues (i.e., “think of a tree”) while they are falling asleep, with the goal of shaping dream content (into something such as a tree). Recent research has demonstrated TDI may be able to increase dream self-efficacy (DSE) and influence other mental health outcomes. Thus, our study explored how...
SLEEPJ
May 1, 2026
Victoria West Staples, Westley Youngren, Emma Angle et al.
Both heightened nightmare (NM) distress, intense negative emotional reactions to nightmares, and low dream self-efficacy (DSE; the perceived ability to manage or influence dream experiences), are understudied contributors to posttraumatic functioning. Individuals with lower DSE shows increased suicide risk in trauma survivors and may increase emotional disturbances during sleep, while NM...
Sleep
May 1, 2025
Westley Youngren, Emma Angle, Victoria West Staples et al.
Abstract Introduction Targeted Dream Incubation (TDI) is the process of utilizing verbal cues (such as, “while you try to fall asleep, try and think of a tree”) during pre-sleep stages in order to directly shape dream content. Preliminary results have demonstrated that TDI may be able to increase dreaming self-efficacy (DSE). Our study aimed to replicate and extend initial findings by examining...
Sleep
May 1, 2025
Westley Youngren, Emma Angle, Victoria West Staples et al.
Research has begun to identify self-efficacy as a crucial variable related to positive treatment outcomes. For treatments targeting nightmares, self-efficacy related to dreaming (DSE) has been proposed to be a key mechanism of change. Additionally, a robust amount of research exists that links nightmares to suicide, suggesting that mechanisms related to trauma-related nightmares may also be...