Dreams and Nightmares during the First and Second Wave of the COVID-19 Infection: A Longitudinal Study

Serena Scarpelli,Alessandro Musetti,Maria C Quattropani,Tommaso Manari,Valentina Alfonsi,Emanuela Saita,Maria Francesca Freda,Giorgia Margherita,Lidia Borghi,Maurizio Gorgoni,Elena Vegni,Vittorio Lenzo,Roberto Cattivelli,Luigi De Gennaro,Christian Franceschini,Giuseppe Plazzi,Maria Filosa,Gianluca Castelnuovo

doi:10.3390/brainsci11111375

Abstract

Recent literature shows that the Coronovirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has provoked significant changes in dreaming. The current study intends to provide an update about dream variable changes during the second wave of COVID-19. A total of 611 participants completed a web survey from December 2020 to January 2021. Statistical comparisons showed that subjects had lower dream-recall frequency, nightmare frequency, lucid-dream frequency, emotional intensity, and nightmare distress during the second than the first wave of the pandemic. Dreams had a higher negative tone during the second than first wave. We revealed significant differences concerning post-traumatic growth, sleep-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and sleep measures between groups obtained as a function of the changes in the oneiric frequency between the first and second waves. We also found significant correlations between qualitative/emotional dream features and COVID-19-related factors (job change, forced quarantine, having COVID-19 infected relatives/friends, or asking for mental health help). Overall, we found that the second wave affected fewer quantitative features of dream activity and there was less emotional intensity. Moreover, we confirmed the relationship between nightmares and the high risk of PTSD when subjects were grouped as a function of the increasing/decreasing frequency. Finally, our findings are partly coherent with the continuity hypothesis between oneiric and waking experiences.

Highlights

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) affected people’s lives worldwide
In light of the current knowledge about dreaming, sleep, and psychological wellbeing during the pandemic, we aimed to provide a within-subject comparison between quantitative and qualitative oneiric variables, considering traditional dreams, lucid dreams, and nightmares, during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 infection
Considering the re-organization of the healthcare system to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., [42,43]), we suggest that investigating nightmares and dreaming could help the management of the psychological consequences of the outbreak

Summary

Introduction

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) affected people’s lives worldwide. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic [1], representing a challenge to all health care systems and governments. After the first contagion peak (from March to May 2020), the restrictions were eased until December 2020 [2], when the second wave of infections required new restrictions and a partial lockdown based on the number of infected and hospitalized people in each Italian region [2] Against this background, a growing number of research papers were showing that the outbreak was associated with relevant psychological symptoms [3,4] and sleep quality was significantly worsened [4,5,6]. Nightmares increased during the Italian lockdown [12] Both high dream-recall frequency [15] and the nightmare rate [12] were associated with poor sleep quality, depression, and anxiety symptoms, highlighting the relationship between waking emotional experience and the oneiric world [19]

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