SLEEPJ
May 8, 2026
Elijah Nichols, Nancy Hamilton, Michele Okun
Abstract Introduction Nightmares are emotionally intense sleep disturbances linked to impaired emotion regulation and physiological arousal. Although stress sensitivity is theorized to increase vulnerability to nightmares, little research has examined whether specific HPA-axis indices, particularly the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), predict nightmare frequency in non-clinical young adults....
SLEEPJ
May 8, 2026
Yan Ma, Peter Wayne, Janet Mullington et al.
Abstract Introduction Mindfulness meditation (MM) apps have gained popularity as a tool for promoting sleep. However, little is known, about the use of MM apps specifically at bedtime, or the efficacy and mechanisms of such practice on insomnia symptom severity and pre-sleep arousal. Methods In Phase 1, we conducted a mixed-methods single-arm pilot study to explore the feasibility of 4 weeks of...
SLEEPJ
May 8, 2026
Heba Afaneh, David Kalmbach, Philip Cheng et al.
Abstract Introduction Insomnia affects half of pregnant women and increases risk for depression. Identifying effective treatments for co-occurring insomnia and depression during pregnancy remains a critical priority. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) improves sleep quality but has limited impact on depression—an effect attributed to persistent cognitive arousal (worry and...
SLEEPJ
May 8, 2026
Jing Zhang, Andres Pena, Negin Sattari Barabadi et al.
Abstract Introduction Sleep supports emotion regulation by preferentially consolidating emotional memories while attenuating reactivity. We have shown that dream recall plays an active role by increasing negative over neutral memories and reducing reactivity. In women, fluctuating reproductive hormones across the menstrual cycle influence sleep features implicated in emotional memory, yet...
SLEEPJ
May 8, 2026
Courtney Bolstad, Constance Fung, Lori Davis et al.
Abstract Introduction Nightmares are common, undertreated, and linked to various biopsychosocial issues in veterans. To address this clinical need, a provider training and consultation program in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBT-N) was established in 2020 within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Program evaluation data indicate that clinicians perceive CBT-N to be...
SLEEPJ
May 8, 2026
Andrew Meierotto, Garrett Baber, Nancy Hamilton
Abstract Introduction Dreaming is theorized to facilitate fear extinction, a type of implicit emotion regulation, whereas nightmares are thought to reflect failures in this regulatory process. However, it is not known whether the frequency of nightmares and associated functional impairment are related to explicit emotion regulation styles. This study examined associations between nightmare...
SLEEPJ
May 8, 2026
James Hall, Mercy Azubuko-Uduh, Naomi Ghildiyal et al.
Abstract Introduction Nightmares are usually associated with insomnia but rarely can arise from distinct and overlapping etiologies that can result in hypersomnia. The etiologies that need to be considered would be PTSD, acute stress disorder, nightmare disorder, depression, anxiety, medication/substance effect, narcolepsy, Idiopathic Hypersomnia. Rare causes are intracranial mass lesion, CNS...
SLEEPJ
May 8, 2026
Alexei Kotov, Andrea Diaz-Pacheco, Patricia Molina et al.
Abstract Introduction Previous research has linked nightmares to anxiety, depression, and poor sleep quality. However, much less is known about how nightmares intersect with acculturation patterns and bicultural experiences in border communities. Understanding the connection between nightmares and acculturation is especially important in contexts where cultural identity, discrimination, and...
SLEEPJ
May 1, 2026
Matthew J. Reid, E. Weisman, Luis Luna Martinez et al.
Despite evidence of an acute effect of psilocybin on sleep physiology, its enduring effects beyond the period of acute administration and active metabolism remain unexplored. Within a clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder comorbid with major depressive disorder, we monitored sleep for ten continuous nights (3 pre-dose | 7 post-dose) in participants (N=22)...
SLEEPJ
May 1, 2026
Lacey Nguyen, G. Baber, Nancy Hamilton
Dreaming is theorized to facilitate emotion regulation through processes resembling exposure therapy. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) now allow researchers to scale dream research by automatically estimating emotional content in dream narratives. However, prospective studies applying sentiment analysis to examine the relationship between dream affect and emotion regulation remain...
SLEEPJ
May 1, 2026
Sophie Nilsson, G. Baber, Elijah Nichols et al.
Trauma exposure is a known risk for sleep disruption from both nightmares and insomnia. Informed by recent research proposing specific mechanisms linking trauma to sleep disruption and between nightmares and insomnia, (Werner et al. 2021), we tested a model in which the relationship between nightmares and insomnia was mediated by fear of sleep. Study participants were college-aged women (N=497;...
SLEEPJ
May 1, 2026
Emily Feldman, Danica C. Slavish
The RU-SATED measure (Buysse, 2014) is a 6-item scale assessing sleep health dimensions: Regularity, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Efficiency, and Duration. This study aimed to (1) establish convergent and discriminant validity of the RU-SATED with established sleep measures, and (2) evaluate three candidate items to expand the scale to include dream health (RU-SATED-D). Undergraduate...
SLEEPJ
May 1, 2026
Jieun Lim, Adriana Pérez
Sleep disturbances are common among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and linked to cognitive decline and reduced quality of life. Pharmacological treatment remains prevalent despite safety concerns such as falls, delirium, and cognitive worsening. Meditation-based interventions (MBIs), including mindfulness, mantra, and sound-based practices, may improve sleep and psychological...
SLEEPJ
May 1, 2026
Matthew J. Reid, Abigail Yaffe, Ian Geithner et al.
Post-treatment Lyme Disease (PTLD) is a post-infectious syndrome characterized by fatigue, hypersomnia, sleep-disturbance, musculoskeletal pain and/or cognitive difficulties. As part of an open-label pilot study of psilocybin-assisted treatment for PTLD, we explored potential for psilocybin-assisted treatment to remedy sleep-related disturbances in this population. 12 participants consented to...
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...