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Nightmare distress is related to traumatic childhood experiences, critical life events and emotional appraisal of a dream rather than to its content.

Jonas Mathes, Jennifer Schuffelen, Annika Gieselmann, Reinhard Pietrowsky

Journal of Sleep Research November 5, 2022 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13779 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational study using dream diaries and regression models Peer reviewed
Sample size 103
Population Adults who kept a dream diary for 28 consecutive days; about 60% were frequent nightmare dreamers
Duration 28 consecutive days of dream diary recording
Measures Nightmare Distress Questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Social Readjustment Rating Scale
Topics Dreaming
Keywords Humans Emotions Dreams Surveys and questionnaires Adverse childhood experiences Sleep quality Appraisal Childhood traumata Nightmare distress
Key findings Emotional abuse in childhood and critical life events predicted nightmare distress, and violent dream contents were associated with it. After controlling for nightmare frequency and negative dream emotion intensity, the association with violent dream contents weakened, suggesting the emotional appraisal of a dream substantially influences nightmare distress alongside traumatic childhood experiences and critical life events.

Abstract

Nightmares are a substantial burden for sleep quality. Previous studies have shown that traumatic experiences can increase the probability of nightmares, and also waking-life distress can enhance this effect. There is evidence that the intensity of negative dream emotions is more responsible for rating a dream as a nightmare than threatening dream contents. However, there is still a lack of research concerning effects on nightmare distress. We hypothesise that traumatic childhood experiences (such as emotional abuse, obtained by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), critical life events (obtained by the Social Readjustment Rating Scale) and threatening dream contents are associated with nightmare distress. A sample of N = 103 participants kept a dream diary over 28 consecutive days. About 60% of the sample were frequent nightmare dreamers. The participants recorded their violent dream contents and dream emotions in their diary. To predict nightmare distress, regression models were constructed; nightmare distress was measured with the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire. Results showed that emotional abuse in childhood and critical life events predicted nightmare distress. Moreover, violent dream contents were associated with nightmare distress but, after we controlled for nightmare frequency and the intensity of negative dream emotions, the significant impact of violent dream contents decreased. The results suggest that the emotional appraisal of a dream has a substantial influence on nightmares in addition to traumatic childhood experiences and critical life events.

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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

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