Nightmare Proneness Predicts Nightmare Frequency Incrementally Over Neuroticism and Distress
Sleep Science March 1, 2025 William E. Kelly, Richard C. Zamora, Soeun Park
Nightmare proneness—a disposition to have frequent nightmares—predicts how often people experience nightmares beyond what can be explained by neuroticism or general distress. In a cross-sectional study of 230 university students, nightmare proneness incrementally predicted nightmare frequency after accounting for neuroticism and distress. Additional analyses showed that neuroticism and distress indirectly predicted nightmare frequency through nightmare proneness, but nightmare proneness did not affect nightmares through those traits. The findings suggest nightmare proneness is a distinct psychological variable, not merely a reflection of neuroticism or distress.