Schizotypy unfolding into the night? Schizotypal traits and daytime psychotic-like experiences predict negative and salient dreams.
Noémi Báthori, Bertalan Polner, Péter Simor
Schizophrenia Research June 10, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.05.020 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective observational study Longitudinal Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | Healthy adults |
| Duration | Three weeks |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Humans Prospective studies Cross-sectional studies Schizotypal personality disorder Psychotic disorders Adult Surveys and questionnaires Sleep Psychosis Nightmares Experience sampling |
| Key findings | Psychotic-like experiences reported in the evening predicted more negative and salient dreams the following morning, while dream quality did not predict later same-day psychotic-like experiences. Schizotypal traits were differentially associated with dream emotions: Introvertive Anhedonia, Cognitive Disorganization, and General-Disorganized schizotypy with more negative dream valence, and Unusual Experiences with more salient dreams. |
Abstract
Symptoms of insomnia and frequent nightmares are prevalent in psychotic disorders, and are associated with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in the non-clinical population. Whereas the role of impaired sleep in psychosis was extensively examined by longitudinal and interventional approaches, studies on the association between psychosis and dream quality are scarce, and mainly cross-sectional. We conducted a three-week long prospective study in a group of healthy adults (N = 55), assessed schizotypal traits, daily PLEs, and the emotional quality of dreams recalled in the morning (N = 490). We extracted the latent factors of schizotypal traits and dream emotions, and examined the predictive value of trait-and state-like variables on day-to-day reports of PLEs and dream quality. PLEs reported in the evening predicted emotionally more negative and salient dream reports the following morning. On the other hand, the quality of dreams were not predictive of PLEs reported later during the day. Schizotypal personality traits were differentially associated with dream quality: Introvertive Anhedonia, Cognitive Disorganization, and General-Disorganized schizotypy were linked to more negative dream valence, whereas Unusual Experiences were associated with more salient dreams. Our findings highlight the relevance of the multidimensional nature of schizotypal traits, the role of different facets of schizotypy in daytime and nocturnal mental experiences, and the day-to-day associations between PLEs and dream affect. GENERAL SCIENTIFIC SUMMARIES (GSS): The aim of the study was to examine the temporal associations between psychotic-like experiences and dream emotions, taking into account the trait factors of schizotypy. Psychotic-like experiences during the evening hours predicted reporting more negative and salient dreams the following morning, and schizotypal personality traits were differentially associated with the dimensions of dream emotions.
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 3
- Reduced REM and N2 sleep, and lower dream intensity predict increased mind-wandering Sleep November 16, 2023
- Hybrid sleep-wake states in psychosis: Examining a comprehensive array of unusual sleep and dream experiences in patients with psychosis compared to non-clinical controls International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology July 1, 2026
- Daily Predictors of Psychotic‐Like Experiences in Older Adults: The Role of Sleep Quality, Negative Emotions, and Cognitive Failures Journal of Sleep Research February 10, 2026
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