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Nightmares' Pattern and Predictors among a Saudi University Students during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Amal A Alghamdi, Nora O Alafif, Ahmed S BaHammam, May Almuammar, Najd S Alharbi, Nouf A Alhefdhi, Sara Al-Musharaf, Kholoud S Al Ghamdi, Ghada F AlYousif, Norah F Al Muhanna

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health February 4, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031776 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed
Sample size 368
Population University students during the COVID-19 quarantine
Measures Generalized Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2 scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-2
Topics Anxiety Depression Dreaming
Keywords Humans Cross-sectional studies Dreams Quality of life Students Universities Adolescent Saudi arabia Female Young adult Pandemics Covid-19 Sars-cov-2 Quarantine Coronavirus University Nightmares
Key findings Nightmares were reported by 31.8% of students, with 44.4% of those being new-onset during the pandemic. Nightmares were associated with higher sleep disturbance scores and increased odds of anxiety and depression, and the authors attribute these patterns to combined exam-period and quarantine stressors, which were more prevalent among females.

Abstract

Purpose: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic quarantine, university students were under various types of stressors, including the exams period, which might have affected their quality and quantity of sleep, and consequently, their quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the pattern and predictors of nightmares among university students and coinvestigate the presence of other types of sleep disturbances, mental disorders, and quarantine-related stressors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 368 university students who answered a self-completed questionnaire covering their sociodemographic features, nightmare indicators, and associated quarantine stressors. Additionally, sleep disturbances were measured using the Generalized Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS), anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2 scale, and depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2.

Results: The participants' mean age was 20.4 ± 1.6 years, and male participants represented 35.9% of the sample. Nightmares were experienced by 117 (31.8%) of the participants, of whom 44.4% had new-onset nightmares. The mean GSDS was 45.0 ± 14.9 (min. = 12, max. = 130). This value is associated with elevated odds of the following

Outcomes: the presence of nightmares (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8; confidence interval [CI] 95% = 1.1-3.0); new-onset nightmares at the time of pandemic (OR = 2.6; CI 95% = 1.3-5.5); and anxiety (OR = 1.74; CI 95% = 1.0-2.9). The presence of nightmares elevated the score of GSDS by 11.3 points (S.E. = 1.6, p < 0.001), elevated the odds of anxiety by 4.1 (CI 95% = 2.5-6.8), and depression by 2.1 (CI 95% = 1.3-3.4).

Conclusions: Stressors resulting from both the exams period and the fact that it was conducted during COVID-19 quarantine increased the rate and affected the pattern of nightmares. These stressors also led to other sleep disturbances and mental disorders that were significantly more prevalent among females.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on dreaming, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Undergraduate students at a large, public university in the southeastern United States 2011 Observational cross-sectional survey n = 583
Prevalence and Correlates of Frequent Nightmares: A Community-Based 2-Phase Study Middle-aged Hong Kong Chinese adults from the community, mean age 40.9 years (SD 5.5,... 2010 Cross-sectional survey with subsequent clinical evaluation (two-phase design) n = 8,558
Factors of home dream recall: a structural equation model Adults (general population sample) 2003 Cross-sectional survey with structural equation modeling n = 444
The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams 2014 Online survey n = 684
Frequency of Lucid Dreaming in a Representative German Sample Representative sample of German adults 2011 Cross-sectional survey n = 919

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