Nightmares in Patients with Psychosis: The Relation with Sleep, Psychotic, Affective, and Cognitive Symptoms

Objective: To examine the prevalence of nightmares in people with psychosis and to describe the link between nightmares and sleep quality, psychotic, affective, and cognitive symptoms.

Methods: Forty participants with psychotic symptoms completed an assessment of nightmares, sleep quality, positive symptoms of psychosis, affect, posttraumatic stress, social functioning, and working memory.

Results: Among the patients, 55% reported weekly distressing nightmares. Experience of more frequent nightmares was related to poorer sleep quality and sleep efficiency. More distressing nightmares were positively associated with greater delusional severity, depression, anxiety, stress, and difficulties with working memory.

Conclusions: Nightmares might be common in those with psychosis and are associated with increased day- and nighttime impairment. Future research should investigate treatments for nightmares, for people presenting with psychotic symptoms.