Nighttime Comedy: The associations among funny dreams, various aspects of humor and dream characteristics
Dainora Kizytė, Tadas Stumbrys
University Library Heidelberg January 23, 2026 DOI: 10.11588/ijodr.2026.1.114972 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 198 |
| Population | Survey respondents |
| Key findings | The frequency of funny dreams was associated with all facets of humor, with humor creation and performance the strongest predictor, and with dream emotional tone, nightmare frequency, and lucid dream frequency. It was unrelated to engagement with comedy-related activities. Participants typically perceived dreams as funny due to humorous situations encountered rather than intentional humor use within the dream, and while overall dream funniness was similar across dreaming and waking, evaluations of a particular dream differed between states. |
Abstract
While the parallels between humor and dreams were already noted by Sigmund Freud over a century ago, funny dreams remain largely overlooked in contemporary research. The present study aimed to assess the associations between funny dreams, various facets of humor, and dream characteristics, while also exploring how humor is expressed within the dream state. Data from 198 survey respondents revealed that the frequency of funny dreams was associated with all facets of humor, including an overall sense of humor and all humor styles. Humor creation and performance emerged as the strongest predictor of funny dreams. Additionally, dream-related variables, including dream emotional tone, the frequency of nightmares and lucid dreams, also appeared to be significant predictors. The frequency of funny dreams, however, was unrelated to engagement with comedy-related activities. Participants typically perceived dreams as funny due to humorous situations encountered rather than an intentional humor use within the dream. While the overall perception of dream funniness was similar across dreaming and waking, the evaluation of a particular dream differed between the two states.