Dream Recall Frequency and Unusual Dream Experiences in Early Adolescence: Longitudinal Links to Behavior Problems
Nirit Soffer-Dudek, Avi Sadeh
Journal of Research on Adolescence December 1, 2013 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 94 |
| Population | 10- to 11-year-old normally developing children |
| Duration | 2-year follow-up |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Internalizing symptoms predicted increases in dream recall and unusual dreams, and unusual dreams predicted increased behavior problems over time. |
Abstract
Unique dream patterns are related to psychopathological distress in adults. In adolescence, this was investigated almost exclusively regarding nightmares. This longitudinal study examines developmental trajectories of various adolescent‐reported dream patterns, and their associations with parent‐reported psychopathology (internalization and externalization problems) in early adolescence. Ninety‐four 10‐ to 11‐year‐old normally developing children completed a week of sleep, dreaming, and pubertal development assessments. Parents reported behavior problems. Assessments were repeated after 1 and 2 years. Reports of unusual dreams decreased over time, and dream recall decreased among girls. Internalizing symptoms longitudinally predicted an increase in dream recall and unusual dreams. Moreover, unusual dreams longitudinally predicted increased behavior problems (internalization and externalization). Assessing dream patterns during early adolescence may help early detection of covert psychopathological distress.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Student volunteers trained to become lucid and signal lucidity with horizontal eye... | 2009 | Observational study | n = 6 |
| Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Young adults with a mean age of 20 years | 2002 | Prospective observational study | n = 116 |
| Long-term effects of extreme situational stress on sleep and dreaming Survivors of traumatic events who complained of sleep disturbances, compared with... | 1987 | Case-control study | n = 11 |
| The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Adults who reported dreams | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 147 |
| Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Healthy human subjects | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Lucid Dreaming: Intensity, But Not Frequency, Is Inversely Related to Psychopathology Frontiers in Psychology March 22, 2018
- Dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic: Support for the threat simulation function of dreams Frontiers in Psychology February 6, 2023
- The clinical neuroscience of lucid dreaming. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews January 14, 2025
- Povezanost lucidnih snova, obrambenih mehanizama i psihickih tegoba Socijalna psihijatrija January 13, 2022
- The vision of dreams: from ontogeny to dream engineering in blindness. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine August 1, 2022
and 2 more in the library
Cites 19
- Questionnaires and diaries as research instruments in dream research: Methodological issues. Dreaming March 1, 2002
- Lucid dreaming treatment for nightmares: A series of cases. Dreaming September 1, 2003
- Dream recall and its relationship to sleep, perceived stress, and creativity among adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health November 1, 2011
- Daily stress interacts with trait dissociation to predict sleep-related experiences in young adults. Journal of Abnormal Psychology August 1, 2011
- Gender differences in nightmare frequency: a meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews April 1, 2011
and 14 more in the library