Lucid dreaming, where one is conscious of dreaming and may control or observe the dream, was studied for its frequency and relation to sleep quality. In a French student group (n=274) and a general population sample (n=681), dream experience frequencies and sleep quality (measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were compared. Predictive models of sleep quality, controlling for age and gender, were not significant for students and only marginally predictive for the general population. However, the models' significance was driven solely by gender, not by dream experience frequencies, indicating that lucid dreaming frequency does not help predict sleep quality. The findings are discussed in light of prior research, and methodological improvements for future studies are suggested.
Lucid dreaming (LD) is a state where the dreamer knows they are dreaming and may control the dream. This study compared two questionnaire methods for measuring LD frequency in French students: one giving a definition of LD and another asking separate questions about dream awareness and control. No significant difference in LD frequency was found between the methods; 81.05% of participants reported LD at least once with the definition-based questionnaire, and 73.38% with the indicator-based questionnaire. However, correlations between LD prevalence and factors like vividness of mental imagery and parasomnia differed by questionnaire type, suggesting that methodology can influence findings in LD research.