Nightmares do result in psychophysiological arousal: A multimeasure ambulatory assessment study.
Franc Paul, Georg W. Alpers, Iris Reinhard, Michael Schredl
Psychophysiology July 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13366 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study with ambulatory polysomnographic assessment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 38 |
| Population | 19 individuals with frequent nightmares (at least one nightmare per week) and 19 healthy control participants (fewer than one nightmare per month) |
| Duration | 3 consecutive nights |
| Measures | heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration cycle length, electrodermal fluctuations, EEG arousals, saliva cortisol, REM density |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | No general differences in autonomic activation were found between nightmare sufferers and controls. However, when nightmare participants reported a nightmare, autonomic activation was markedly increased compared with their own non-nightmare REM periods and, to some extent, with control participants' dreams. The authors argue this autonomic response, rather than altered sleep patterns, may underlie impaired self-reported sleep quality. |
Abstract
Individuals who frequently experience nightmares report compromised sleep quality, poor daytime mood, and functioning. Previous research has aimed at linking these impairments with altered sleep architecture, but results were inconclusive. One plausible explanation is that only a few studies recorded markers of autonomic nervous system activity. For the first time, this study collected such markers under ecologically valid conditions with ambulatory assessment. In 19 individuals with frequent nightmares (≥1 nightmare/week) and 19 healthy control participants (<1 nightmare/month), measures indicating autonomic activation (heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration cycle length, electrodermal fluctuations, EEG arousals, saliva cortisol, REM density) were collected while applying ambulatory polysomnographic assessment during 3 consecutive nights. When nightmare participants reported a nightmare, we analyzed the last 5 min of REM sleep before awakening and compared these data to their non-nightmares as well as to the dream episodes of control participants. Overall, there were no general differences in autonomic activation of nightmare sufferers compared to control participants. However, when nightmare participants experienced nightmares, autonomic activation was markedly increased compared to their own non-nightmares and, to some extent, to control participant's dreams. Significant intraindividual differences were found for all autonomic measures except in participant's EEG arousals and cortisol levels. Group differences were found in EEG arousals and heart rate. In conclusion, ambulatory polysomnography demonstrates that nightmares are accompanied by increased autonomic activation. Results support the notion of impaired self-reported sleep quality caused by one's autonomic response rather than altered sleep pattern.
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 19
- What about dreams? State of the art and open questions Journal of Sleep Research April 13, 2022
- Nightmare content during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Influence of COVID‐related stress and sleep disruption in the United States Journal of Sleep Research August 18, 2021
- Sleep Paralysis and Lucid Dreaming-Between Waking and Dreaming: A Review about Two Extraordinary States. Journal of Clinical Medicine May 12, 2023
- Altered parasympathetic activity during sleep and emotionally arousing wakefulness in frequent nightmare recallers European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience March 2, 2023
- Parasomnias I Oxford University Press eBooks May 22, 2025
and 14 more in the library
Cites 10
- Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Sleep 2002
- The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Journal of Sleep Research May 26, 2004
- Prevalence and Correlates of Frequent Nightmares: A Community-Based 2-Phase Study Sleep June 1, 2010
- Nightmares affect the experience of sleep quality but not sleep architecture: an ambulatory polysomnographic study Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation February 12, 2015
- Nightmare frequency in a representative German sample University Library Heidelberg 2013
and 5 more in the library