Dreams and Nightmares in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Review.
Ahmed S BaHammam, Aljohara S Almeneessier
Frontiers in Neurology 2019 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01127 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) |
| Topics | PTSD Dreaming |
| Keywords | Cpap Rem sleep Emotion Hypopnea Sleep-disordered breathing |
| Key findings | Dream recall and content in OSA patients vary; CPAP treatment reduces nightmare frequency, and more severe OSA correlates with lower dream recall. |
Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can present with or provoke various psychological symptoms. In this article, we critically review studies that have examined dreams, dream recall, and dream content in patients with OSA. Obstructive events induce recurrent sleep fragmentation and intermittent desaturations in patients with OSA, which may trigger different parasomnias, including nightmares. Contradictory results have been reported concerning dreams in patients with OSA; while some investigators have reported less dreams in OSA patients, others have described that patients with OSA have increased dreams with emotional content, mainly violent and hostile content. Although there are reports of respiratory-related dream content in patients with OSA, most studies that have assessed the dream content of patients with OSA revealed that respiratory-related dream content was unusual. A clear association between post-traumatic stress disorders, comorbid OSA, and nightmares has been reported in several studies. Furthermore, an improvement in nightmare frequency with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment has been shown. An inverse relationship between the severity of OSA reflected by the apnea-hypopnea index and dream recall has been demonstrated in several studies. Future studies should differentiate between patients with non-stage specific OSA and patients with rapid eye movement (REM) predominant OSA.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming | 2019 | Review | |
| Sleep and dreaming are for important matters | 2013 | Review | |
| Nightmare Disorder and Isolated Sleep Paralysis | 2020 | Review | |
| My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? | 2019 | Review | |
| Dream Recall: State or Trait Variable? Part I: Model, Theories, Methodology and Trait Factors | 1996 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Traumatized Us Collectively? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Sleep Factors via Traumatization: A Multinational Survey Nature and Science of Sleep August 1, 2022
- Treating narcolepsy-related nightmares with cognitive behavioural therapy and targeted lucidity reactivation: A pilot study. Journal of Sleep Research June 1, 2025
- Dronabinol for nightmares in post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Nature Medicine September 2026
- Comorbidity of Nightmares in U.S. Military Personnel With Insomnia, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or Co-Morbid Insomnia and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Military Medicine July 2, 2026
- Enhancing primary care detection and referral of nightmare disorder: a quality improvement initiative : Journal name: Sleep and Breathing. Sleep & Breathing June 26, 2026
and 2 more in the library
Cites 11
- Dreams as the Expression of Conceptions and Concerns: A Comparison of German and American College Students Imagination, Cognition and Personality March 1, 2006
- Dream Content Alalysis at the Initiation of CPAP for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Journal of Sleep Disorders & Therapy 2013
- Management of nightmares in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder: current perspectives. Nature and Science of Sleep November 26, 2018
- Dream Content in Patients With Sleep Apnea: A Prospective Sleep Laboratory Study. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine January 15, 2018
- Gender differences in nightmare frequency: a meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews April 1, 2011
and 6 more in the library