Dream experiences and associated sleep, mental health, and lifestyle factors in Japanese adolescents: a cross-sectional study
Yuki Tanaka, Yuichiro Otsuka, Suguru Nakajima, Tomomi Miyoshi, Yoshitaka Kaneita
Sleep Epidemiology September 29, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleepe.2026.100172 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6,813 |
| Population | High school students from participating schools in one prefecture in western Japan |
| Key findings | Depressive and insomnia symptoms were positively associated with multiple dream-related experiences and dream content items. Moderate or higher depressive symptoms were strongly associated with unpleasant dreams (OR 4.08), emotional carryover (OR 3.22), film-like dreams (OR 2.52), and awakening by frightening dreams (OR 2.33), while pleasant dreams were inversely associated (OR 0.77). |
Abstract
Dream experiences have been associated with emotional and mental health characteristics; however, epidemiological evidence among adolescents remains limited. This study examined dream experiences and their associations with sleep, mental health, and lifestyle factors among students from participating high schools in one prefecture in western Japan. A school-based, non-random, cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and June 2024. Data from 6,813 high school students were collected and analyzed. Nine dream-related items were assessed, including recent dream-related experiences (self-reported memory of dreams, emotional carryover, and awakening by frightening dreams) and dream content (e.g., pleasant, unpleasant, and recurring dreams). Factors examined included gender, grade level, depressive symptoms, insomnia symptoms, and lifestyle-related factors. Mixed-effects logistic regression analyses with a random intercept for school were performed to examine associations between dream experiences and related factors. Self-reported memory of dreams (64.1%) and pleasant dreams (61.8%) were frequently reported. Depressive symptoms and insomnia symptoms were significantly and positively associated with multiple dream-related experiences and dream-content items. Moderate or higher depressive symptoms showed particularly strong associations with unpleasant dreams (OR 4.08), emotional carryover (OR 3.22), film-like dreams (OR 2.52), and awakening by frightening dreams (OR 2.33), whereas pleasant dreams showed an inverse association (OR 0.77). Being a girl and daytime sleepiness were also associated with multiple dream-related items, whereas associations with lifestyle factors, including caffeine intake and internet addiction/gaming disorder, were less consistent. These findings extend epidemiological evidence on adolescent dream experiences, suggesting that dream-related experiences and dream content are associated with emotional and sleep-related characteristics.
Citations in the library
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