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Clinical nightmare frequency and its association with reduced physical health during military operations

Remington Mallett, Jason Jameson, Ken A Paller, Rachel R. Markwald, Dale Wesley Russell

Sleep August 26, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad214 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Peer reviewed
Topics Dreaming
Citations 2
Key points Nightmares are common, affecting up to 8% of the general population and over 50% of people with PTSD. The authors note that little is known about how nightmares relate to physical health, and that prior survey studies found negligible relationships between nightmare frequency and physical activity.

Abstract

Recurrent nightmares affect up to 8% of the general population and over 50% of those with a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis [1]. Despite known associations between nightmares and negative mental health outcomes [2], little is known concerning how nightmares relate to physical health outcomes. Disruptions to sleep micro- and macro-architecture in frequent nightmare recallers [3] would suggest that they also exhibit reduced physical health, yet prior findings on this topic are mixed. Self-reported survey studies observed negligible relationships between nightmare frequency and physical activity [4].

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