Variations in dream recall frequency and dream theme diversity by age and sex.
Frontiers in Neurology 2012 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2012.00106 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28,888 |
| Population | Male and female participants aged 10-79 years |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Aging Dream diversity Epidemiology Sex differences Sleep |
| Key findings | Dream recall frequency increases from adolescence to early adulthood, then decreases with age, with distinct patterns for males and females; dream theme diversity decreases linearly with age. |
Abstract
We assessed dream recall frequency (DRF) and dream theme diversity (DTD) with an internet questionnaire among a cohort of 28,888 male and female participants aged 10-79 years in a cross-sectional design. DRF increased from adolescence (ages 10-19) to early adulthood (20-29) and then decreased again for the next 20 years. The nature of this decrease differed for males and females. For males, it began earlier (30-39), proceeded more gradually, and reached a nadir earlier (40-49) than it did for females. For females, it began later (40-49), dropped more abruptly, and reached nadir later (50-59). Marked sex differences were observed for age strata 10-19 through 40-49 and year-by-year analyses estimated the window for these differences to be more precisely from 14 to 44 years. DTD decreased linearly with age for both sexes up to 50-59 and then dropped even more sharply for 60-79. There was a sex difference favoring males on this measure but only for ages 10-19. Findings replicate, in a single sample, those from several previous studies showing an increase in DRF from adolescence to early adulthood, a subsequent decrease primarily in early and middle adulthood, and different patterns of age-related decrease in the two sexes. Age-related changes in sleep structure, such as decreasing %REM sleep which parallel the observed dream recall changes, might help explain these findings, but these sleep changes are much smaller and more gradual in nature. Changes in the phase and amplitude of circadian rhythms of REM propensity and generational differences in life experiences may also account for some part of the findings. That decreases in DTD parallel known age-related decreases in episodic and autobiographical memory may signify that this new diversity measure indexes an aspect of autobiographical memory that also influences dream recall.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Undergraduate students at a large, public university in the southeastern United States | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional survey | n = 583 |
| Prevalence and Correlates of Frequent Nightmares: A Community-Based 2-Phase Study Middle-aged Hong Kong Chinese adults from the community, mean age 40.9 years (SD 5.5,... | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey with subsequent clinical evaluation (two-phase design) | n = 8,558 |
| Factors of home dream recall: a structural equation model Adults (general population sample) | 2003 | Cross-sectional survey with structural equation modeling | n = 444 |
| 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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 35
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- Combining presleep cognitive training and REM-sleep stimulation in a laboratory morning nap for lucid dream induction. Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice April 13, 2020
- Spotlight on dream recall: the ages of dreams Nature and Science of Sleep 2018
- The impact of the end of COVID confinement on pandemic dreams, as assessed by a weekly sleep diary: a longitudinal investigation in Italy. Journal of Sleep Research February 1, 2022
- Is There a Link Between Frequency of Dreams, Lucid Dreams, and Subjective Sleep Quality? Frontiers in Psychology 2020
and 30 more in the library
Cites 16
- Typical Dreams: Stability and Gender Differences The Journal of Psychology 2004
- Age changes in dream recall in adulthood. Dreaming March 1, 1996
- Aging and Memory for Dreams Perceptual and Motor Skills October 1, 1991
- How Often Do Adults Recall Their Dreams? The International Journal of Aging and Human Development June 1, 1984
- Dreams and dreaming among the elderly: An overview Aging & Mental Health February 1, 1999
and 11 more in the library