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Association of temperament (Mizaj) with dream characteristics and sleep quality using the Mannheim dream questionnaire: a cross-sectional study

Iqra Hashmi, Yusuf Jamal

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health December 31, 2025 DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20254430 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed
Sample size 305
Population Adults aged 18 years and older in India
Topics Dreaming Lucid dreaming
Keywords Sleep quality Sleep system call Association psychology Temperament Clinical psychology Recall Valence chemistry Developmental psychology Arousal Quality philosophy
Key findings Mizaj is significantly associated with dream recall, vividness, lucidity, nightmare frequency, and sleep quality, but not with dream valence.

Abstract

Background: Mizaj (temperament) is a core concept in Unani medicine, reflecting an individual’s constitutional makeup and influencing physical, psychological and behavioral traits. Classical texts suggest that mizaj modulates dream patterns and sleep quality, yet empirical evidence integrating traditional temperament assessment with contemporary dream and sleep metrics is limited. To investigate the association between mizaj, dream characteristics assessed by the Mannheim Dream Questionnaire (MADRE) and sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in a community-based adult population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 305 adults aged≥18 years in (Location), India. Mizaj was determined using the CCRUM Standardized Mizaj Assessment Proforma. Dream parameters (recall, vividness, valence, lucidity, nightmare frequency) were evaluated using the MADRE and sleep quality was assessed using the PSQI. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis tests and Tukey’s HSD for post-hoc comparisons. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Significant differences across mizaj types were observed for dream recall (p<0.0001), vividness (p<0.0001), lucidity (p<0.0001), nightmare frequency (p<0.0001) and PSQI global score (p<0.0001), while dream valence showed no significant variation (p=0.910). Safravi participants had the highest recall and vividness scores, Damvi and Safravi showed higher lucidity, Saudavi reported the highest nightmare frequency and poorest sleep quality and Balgami exhibited the best sleep quality.

Conclusions: Mizaj is significantly associated with multiple dream parameters and sleep quality, supporting both classical Unani theory and contemporary dream research. Temperament-based screening may offer a culturally relevant, low-cost approach for identifying individuals at risk of sleep disturbances and related psychological distress.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on lucid dreaming, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams 2014 Online survey n = 684
Frequency of Lucid Dreaming in a Representative German Sample Representative sample of German adults 2011 Cross-sectional survey n = 919
Lucid dreaming: an age‐dependent brain dissociation Students aged 6-19 years 2012 Survey
Terror and bliss? Commonalities and distinctions between sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and their associations with waking life experiences Adults aged 18–82 years 2016 Cross-sectional survey n = 1,928
Increased Lucid Dreaming Frequency in Narcolepsy Patients diagnosed with narcolepsy and healthy control subjects 2015 Cross-sectional study n = 979

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