Skip to content

What goes around comes around: Nightmares and daily stress are bidirectionally associated in nurses

Odalis G Garcia, Danica C. Slavish, Jessica R. Dietch, B. Messman, Ateka A. Contractor, Patricia L. Haynes, Kristi E. Pruiksma, Kimberly Kelly, C. Ruggero, Daniel J. Taylor

Stress and Health March 21, 2021 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3048 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort (daily diary study) Peer reviewed
Sample size 392
Population Nurses (92% female; 78% White)
Duration 14 days of sleep diaries; PTSD symptoms assessed at baseline
Measures sleep diaries
Topics Dreaming
Key findings Days with greater stress were associated with higher odds of a nightmare that night (OR = 1.22) and greater nightmare severity, and nightmare occurrence predicted greater next-day stress severity. These bidirectional daily associations were similar for nurses with and without baseline PTSD symptoms.

Abstract

Nurses may experience frequent nightmares due to stressful work environments. Nightmares may also exacerbate stress among nurses, although this has yet to be tested empirically. We examined daily bidirectional associations between stress severity and nightmares, and moderation by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. 392 nurses (92% female; 78% White) completed 14 days of sleep diaries to assess previous-day stress severity and nightmare occurrence and severity. PTSD symptoms were assessed at baseline. Multilevel models were used to examine bidirectional, within-person associations between daily stress and nightmares, and cross-level moderation by baseline PTSD symptoms. 47.2% of nurses reported at least one nightmare across the two weeks. Days with greater stress were associated with higher odds of experiencing a nightmare (OR = 1.22, p = 0.001), as well as greater nightmare severity (b = 0.09, p = 0.033). Nightmare occurrence (b = 0.15, p < 0.001) was associated with greater next-day stress severity. Daily stress and nightmare associations were similar for those with and without PTSD symptoms. Nightmares and stress may occur in a bidirectional fashion. Nurses face intense occupational demands and frequent exposure to potentially traumatic events. Studies should explore whether targeting nightmares and stress may improve nurses’ health and well-being.

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 7

and 2 more in the library

Cites 9

and 4 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

Dreaming PTSD