Retest reliabilities for two single items measuring bad dream frequency (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) or nightmare frequency (Mannheim Dream Questionnaire (MADRE))
University Library Heidelberg October 21, 2025 DOI: 10.11588/ijodr.2026.1.113685 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 277 |
| Population | Wait-list control group of a sleep app study |
| Duration | Baseline, Week 6, and Week 12 assessments |
| Measures | Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Mannheim Dream Questionnaire (MADRE) |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | The MADRE nightmare frequency scale showed sufficiently high retest reliability, whereas the PSQI bad dream frequency item did not. Despite high inter-correlations between the measures, the authors argue that validity remains an open question, including whether nightmares (with awakening at the end) or disturbing dreams (with or without awakening from the dream) should be the focus of research on nightmare disorder. |
Abstract
Several measures eliciting nightmare frequency have been developed over the years. Most of the measures show sufficient reliability, but some studies are based on the four-point item of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) measuring bad dream frequency – even though reliability data for this item have not been published. The present study included a sample of N = 277 participants (wait-list control group of a sleep app study) who completed the PSQI and the nightmare frequency scale of the Mannheim Dream Questionnaire (MADRE) at baseline, at Week 6, and Week 12. Whereas the retest reliability coefficients were sufficiently high for the MADRE nightmare scale, reliability for the PSQI bad dream frequency item was not adequate. Despite the high inter-correlations between different nightmare and bad dream frequency measures, the question of validity is still open to future research, e.g., whether nightmares (with awakening at the end) or disturbing dreams (with or without awakening from the dream) should be the focus of research, especially in the context of investigating model of the nightmare disorder.
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 |