Dream-enacting behaviors in a normal population.

Dream-enacting behaviors—such as speaking, crying, smiling, and moving during sleep—are common in healthy young adults, with prevalence rising from 36% to 98% depending on how specifically questions are asked. Women report more speaking, crying, fear, and smiling or laughing during dreams, while men report more sexual arousal. These gender differences persist even after accounting for other sleep disorders and dream recall. The behaviors are largely independent of other parasomnias like sleepwalking or nightmares, except for dream-talking, which is linked to sleep-talking. They are not related to alexithymia but are moderately tied to absorption. Social desirability does not affect reporting.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Determine the prevalence and gender distributions of behaviors enacted during dreaming ("dream-enacting [DE] behaviors") in a normal population; the independence of such behaviors from other parasomnias; and the influence of different question wordings, socially desirable responding and personality on prevalence. 3-group questionnaire study. University classrooms Three undergraduate samples (Ns = 443, 201, 496; mean ages = 19.9 +/- 3.2 y; 20.1 +/- 3.4 y; 19.1 +/- 1.6 y). N/A. Subjects completed questionnaires about DE behaviors and Social Desirability. Study 1 employed a nonspecific question about the behaviors, Study 2 employed the same question with examples, and Study 3 employed 7 questions describing specific behavior subtypes (speaking, crying, smiling/laughing, fear, anger, movement, sexual arousal). Somnambulism, somniloquy, nightmares, dream recall, alexithymia, and absorption were also assessed. Factor analyses were conducted to determine relationships among DE behaviors and their independence from other parasomnias. Prevalence increased with increasing question specificity (35.9%, 76.7%, and 98.2% for the 3 samples). No gender difference obtained for the nonspecific question, but robust differences occurred for more specific questions. Females reported more speaking, crying, fear and smiling/laughing than did males; males reported more sexual arousal. When controlling other parasomnias and dream recall frequency, these differences persisted. Factor solutions revealed that DE behaviors were independent of other parasomnias and of dream recall frequency, except for an association between dream-talking and somniloquy. Sexual arousal was related only to age. Behaviors were independent of alexithymia but moderately related to absorption. Dream-enacting behaviors are prevalent in healthy subjects and sensitive to question wording but not social desirability. Subtypes are related, differ with gender and occur independently of other parasomnias.