An observatory on changes in dreaming during a pandemic: a living systematic review (part 1).
Giorgia Margherita, Alessia Caffieri
Journal of Sleep Research June 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13742 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Living systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 71 |
| Population | Eligible papers about dreams and dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic published until February 2022 |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Dreams Living systematic review Pandemic Psychological health |
| Key findings | Lockdowns were associated with more intense dreaming, changes in dream recall and nightmare frequency, the emergence of 'pandemic dreams', and an altered dreaming-waking-life continuum with dreaming serving as an emotional regulator. |
Abstract
A 'new' way of dreaming has emerged during the pandemic, enhancing the interest of psychological literature. Indeed, during the years of the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many studies have investigated dream-related phenomena and dreaming functions. Considering the constant and rapid emergence of new results on this topic, the main aim of this study was to create an 'observatory' on the short- and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on dreaming, by means of a living systematic review. The baseline results are presented, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines, to identify and discuss existing studies about dreams and dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic published until February 2022. Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, and PubMed were used for the search strategy, yielding 71 eligible papers included in the review. Our results show: (a) a more intense oneiric activity during lockdown; (b) changes in dreaming components (especially dream-recall and nightmare frequency); (c) a particular dreaming scenario ('pandemic dreams'); (d) an alteration of the dreaming-waking-life continuum and a specific function of dreaming as emotional regulator. Findings suggest that monitoring changes in dreaming provides important information about psychological health and could also contribute to the debate on the difficulties of dreaming, as well as sleeping, in particular during and after a period of 'collective trauma'.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreaming as mind wandering: evidence from functional neuroimaging and first-person content reports. | 2013 | Systematic review with meta-analytic comparison | |
| Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50 years of research | 2016 | Meta-analysis | |
| The effectiveness of lucid dreaming therapy in patients with nightmares: A systematic review. Adults with chronic and recurring nightmares | 2023 | Systematic review | |
| The relationships between insomnia, nightmares, and dreams: A systematic review Individuals without a concomitant psychopathology, including those with insomnia or... | 2024 | Systematic review | |
| Psychosocial treatments for nightmares in adults and children: a systematic review | 2023 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- More dreams of the rarebit fiend: food sensitivity and dietary correlates of sleep and dreaming Frontiers in Psychology July 1, 2025
- Dreams Shared on Social Networks during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Tower of Babel or Noah’s Ark?—A Group-Analytic Perspective International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health February 17, 2023
- Dream content discovery from social media using natural language processing EPJ Data Science May 23, 2025
- Exploring the role of dreams: insights from recent studies. Current opinion in pulmonary medicine November 1, 2024
- Dream Content Discovery from Social Media Using AI
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