Dream and nightmare alterations in patients presenting with suicidal crisis: A prospective study in psychiatric emergency department.
Sleep Medicine October 1, 2026 Emilie Gagneron, Katayoun Rezaei, Romain Perot et al.
In a psychiatric emergency department in Paris, 83% of patients experiencing a suicidal crisis reported at least one dream alteration. Bad dreams occurred in 61.9% of participants, nightmares in 52.4%, and suicidal scenarios within nightmares in 35.7%. Nightmares emerged on average 128 days before the crisis, while suicidal-themed nightmares appeared closer, about 16 days before the emergency visit. Over half of patients (54.8%) showed an evolutionary pattern of at least two successive dream alterations. Nightmare severity correlated with insomnia severity and anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that nightmares may serve as early markers of suicide risk, with systematic assessment potentially enhancing clinical practice.