Frequency Of Dreams Research Articles

The Effects of Lucid Dreaming and Nightmares on Sleep Quality and Mental Health Outcomes

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to investigate relationships between lucid dreaming and sleep and mental health outcomes within a representative sample of the general population. We also sought to examine how nightmares interact with the relationship between lucid dreaming, sleep, and mental health outcomes. Methods Participants (N = 1332) completed measures of lucid dream frequency, nightmare frequency, anxiety and depressive symptoms, stress, and sleep quality. Hierarchical regression models were conducted, where step-1 examined the direct effect of lucid dreaming on all outcome variables, and step-2 added nightmares into the equation (to examine direct effects of lucid dreaming frequency and nightmares, and the indirect effect of nightmares). Results Step-1 results demonstrated that lucid dreaming positively predicted poor sleep quality, stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Step-2 results revealed that nightmares were the only significant predictor of poor sleep quality, stress, and anxiety symptoms, accounting for all of the variance of lucid dreaming. Nightmares and the interaction of nightmares and lucid dreaming positively predicted depressive symptoms. Conclusions Our results suggest that nightmares alone explain associations between lucid dreaming and poor sleep quality, anxiety symptoms, and stress. However, both nightmares and the combination of nightmares and lucid dreaming are associated with increased depressive symptoms.

Dream habits in a large cohort of preteens and their relation to sleep and nocturnal awakenings.

The present study examined dream habits, and their relation to sleep patterns, in 1151 preteens (597 boys; 554 girls; 11.31 ± 0.62 years old). Dream questionnaires assessed the frequency of dream recall, nightmare, and lucid dream, as well as the intensity of emotions experienced in dreams. Sleep variables included sleep duration and efficiency, but also different measurements of nocturnal awakenings. Among the preteens, 49.21% of them reported that they recalled dreams several times a week or almost every morning over the past few months. In addition, 52.00% of the preteens reported that they experienced nightmares, and 45.48% lucid dreams, less than once a month or never over the past few months. No gender differences were observed in dream variables. Nocturnal awakenings were linked to all dream variables, while sleep duration and sleep efficiency were related to nightmare frequency and emotions in dreams. Importantly, sleep duration and sleep efficiency were not associated with dream recall nor lucid dream frequency, with Bayesian analyses supporting the null hypothesis. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of preteens' dreams and their connection to key sleep aspects.

Frequent Lucid Dreaming Is Associated with Meditation Practice Styles, Meta-Awareness, and Trait Mindfulness.

Lucid dreaming involves becoming aware that one's current experience is a dream, which has similarities with the notion of mindfulness-becoming aware of moment-to-moment changes in experience. Additionally, meta-awareness, the ability to explicitly notice the current content of one's own mental state, has also been proposed to play an important role both in lucid dreaming and mindfulness meditation practices. However, research has shown conflicting strengths of associations between mindfulness, meditation, and lucid dreaming frequency, and the link between lucid dreaming and meta-awareness has not yet been empirically studied. This study evaluated the associations between lucid dreaming frequency and different meditation practice styles, mindfulness traits, and individual differences in meta-awareness through an online survey (n = 635). The results suggest that daily frequent meditators experience more lucid dreams than non-frequent meditators. However, weekly frequent meditators did not have a higher lucid dreaming frequency. A positive association was observed between open monitoring styles of meditation and lucid dreaming. The findings also indicate that meta-awareness is higher for meditators and weekly lucid dreamers. Furthermore, frequent lucid dreaming was commonly associated with a non-reactive stance and experiencing transcendence. Overall, the findings suggest a positive relationship between specific meditation practices and lucid dreaming as well as the importance of meta-awareness as a cognitive process linking meditation, mindfulness, and lucid dreaming.

Incidence of dreaming during ciprofol anesthesia for painless gastroscopy.

Dreaming is often reported by patients who undergo propofol-based sedation, but there have not been any studies to date focused on the incidence of dreaming and factors associated therewith following the administration of ciprofol anesthesia in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy. The present study was thus developed with the goal of assessing the incidence of dreaming. In total, this study enrolled 200 patients undergoing painless gastroscopy. During the procedure, patients' electroencephalographic Bispectral Index (BIS), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO<inf>2</inf>), and PETCO<inf>2</inf> were monitored. When their MOAA/S score reached five after the procedure, patients were administered questionnaires including the Brice questionnaire and a five-point Likert Scale, and the content of any recalled dreams was also recorded. Overall, 27.5% of the participants in this study reported dreaming during the procedure, with most having experienced simple, pleasant dreams about everyday life. Identified predictors of dreaming during painless gastroscopy included lower ASA grade, preoperative knowledge of painless examination, a higher frequency of dreams in the month before the procedure, poor sleep quality during the month before the procedure, and shorter awakening time. Dreamers showed significantly lower BIS values at 2 min after endoscope insertion and following endoscope removal, and also showed lower minimum BIS values compared with non-dreamers. The postoperative dream recall incidence in this study was 27.5% among patients undergoing painless gastroscopy under ciprofol sedation anesthesia.

The effect of childhood emotional abuse and neglect on disturbed dreaming frequency: The important role of rumination and perceived social support.

The effect of childhood emotional abuse and neglect on disturbed dreaming frequency: The important role of rumination and perceived social support.

The Application of the “Banchenko's Mnemonic Dream Synchronization Method” for the Joint Synchronization of Dream Elements (Including Lucid Dreams), within the Framework of “Blokhin's Dreaming Cell Concept,” and the Analysis of the Obtained Results Using the “Kapustin's AI Dream Matching Model.”

Purpose: The research is aimed at studying the potential for dream synchronization, including lucid dreams, among a group of participants using the concepts of "memes" and "tag-memes" within the framework of the "Banchenko Algorithm" and the "Mnemonic Dream Synchronization Technique of Banchenko." Additionally, it aims to assess the effectiveness of a new artificial intelligence model built and trained by Mykhailo Kapustin for identifying correlations in the dreams of the participants [1]. Methods: In the study, eight participants from different countries kept dream journals for a month. Afterward, the artificial intelligence model developed by Kapustin was trained to analyze these dreams. Following this, over the course of 16 days, synchronization among the group of participants was conducted using the "Mnemonic Dream Synchronization Technique of Banchenko," which included activities like collectively watching the TV series "The OA. Synchronization took into account the difference in time zones. Additionally, synchronous discussions of the viewing were carried out on the Telegram messenger, along with additional discussions related to key concepts and "tag-memes." Data analysis covered 30 days before synchronization and 30 days after the start of synchronization, using Kapustin's model with subsequent manual verification [2].Results: The data obtained for two periods confirm the influence of synchronization during wakefulness on dreams and highlight the emergence of "memes" and "tag-memes" in dream content, as well as objects and scenes unrelated to the elements of discussion or collective viewings. In-depth discussions during wakefulness contribute to the development of unique "tag-memes" within the group. The novelty of the research is based on the fact that it's suggested that electromagnetic fields may serve as mediators in intercellular communication, facilitating the exchange of information between cells. The systematic keeping of dream journals may influence the content of dreams. The frequency of lucid dreams remained stable, which may indicate the limited effectiveness of isolated methods of joint tuning without additional methods for inducing lucid dreams. Conclusions: The research highlights the impact of wakeful-state synchronization on dream content. "Memes" and "tag-memes" play their roles, but systematic dream journaling is also important for improving dream recall. The frequency of lucid dreams suggests the need for further investigation into isolated practices. A computational model excels at identifying common dream objects, but human evaluation remains integral during algorithm refinement.

Exploring the Association Between Dreams and Personality Traits

This study focuses on the often-neglected aspect of 'dream attitudes,' such as participants' interest in dreams and the impact of their dreams. By examining the relationships between dreaming, attitudes toward dreams, gender, and personality traits, we aim to explore the continuity between dreaming and wakefulness from a new perspective. Specifically, we hypothesize that: (1) there are differences in dream frequency between males and females;(2) individuals of different genders and personality traits vary in their dream recall and clarity; (3) there are differences in dream attitudes and recall frequency based on personality traits.The participants of the experiment were college students, and data were collected through a specially designed dream research questionnaire. Gender and personality trait scores were used as independent variables, and dream frequency and attitudes as dependent variables, analyzed using factor analysis, correlational analysis, and t-tests. The findings suggest that individual characteristics may influence attitudes toward dreams and are possibly related to the frequency of dream recall. Future research should be more multidimensional and comprehensive, taking into account the interplay between personality traits and dream content.

Dreaming of being chased reflects waking-life experiences related to negative relationships with others metaphorically.

It has long been argued that there are dream metaphors which express waking-life experiences indirectly. Most of empirical evidence concerning this topic was in a qualitative way, while few studies explored the topic in a quantitative way. Under this background, we investigated whether dreaming of the typical theme 'being chased or pursued' was a metaphorical expression for waking-life experiences related to 'negative relationships with others'. One hundred and sixty participants reported their waking-life experiences and dreams for a single day. Following this, two external judges rated whether there were any elements related to 'negative relationships with others' in both waking-life experiences and dreams. In addition, the judges assessed if there was any content related to 'being chased or pursued' in both waking-life experiences and dreams. The frequency of dreaming of 'negative relationships with others' was higher than the frequency of the same topic in waking-life experiences, which in turn was higher than the frequency of typical theme dreaming of 'being chased or pursued'. In addition, 'negative relationships with others' in waking-life experiences were correlated with both dreaming of 'being chased or pursued', and 'negative relationships with others' in dreams. These results suggested that the typical theme 'being chased or pursued' in dreams may represent some waking-life experiences metaphorically. In addition, the results support the threat simulation theory of dreaming, which suggests that threatening events in waking life increase the possibility of threatening events in dreams.

INVESTIGATING DREAMING IN COGNITIVELY DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Dreaming changes across the lifespan. While our understanding of how dreaming relates to aging and well-being has developed with respect to early and middle phases of the lifespan, the dreams of older adults remain under-studied. Reviews of the literature suggest decreases in dream recall and the emotionality of dream content that often precede age-related changes in sleep architecture, with few changes in dreaming occurring between ages 45-75, after which dream recall declines steeply. However, these findings are based on relatively few studies. This point is underscored when considering the effects of secondary aging on dreaming, where virtually no literature exists on the dreams of older adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment. Studying the dreams of older adults experiencing cognitive impairment may seem trivial when compared to other processes implicated in secondary aging, but recent studies examining the relationship between frequency of negative dream content and the increased risk of onset and acceleration of cognitive decline beg a closer examination of how dreaming contributes to a broader understanding of health and functioning across the lifespan. The scoping review of sleep, dreams, well-being and cognition across the lifespan, and the subsequent proposed study design seeks to employ the Hall and Van de Castle Coding System of content analysis to contribute to the literature on the dream frequency and content of cognitively typical older adults while also exploring the feasibility and methodological considerations of studying the dream content of older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Sleep disorders after COVID-19 in Czech population: Post-lockdown national online survey

ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the frequency, type, and correlates of a broad spectrum of sleep disorders in adults with COVID-19 up to 32 months after infection. MethodsWe conducted a national online survey (Jun 2021–Dec 2022), gathering information on COVID-19 diagnosis, acute disease course, and the subsequent development of sleep disorders from 1507 respondents (mean age 44.5 ± 13.1 years, 64.1% women). Results81.3% (1223) reported at least one sleep difficulty that either worsened or first appeared with COVID-19. Females reported a higher number of symptoms (2.03 ± 1.44 versus 1.72 ± 1.43 in men, p < 0.0001). Most common were insomnia symptoms (59.4%), followed by night sweats (38.4%), hypersomnolence (33.3%), vivid dreams or nightmares (26.4%), restless leg syndrome (RLS) (22.8%), and sleep-related breathing disorders (11.1%). All symptoms were associated with a more severe acute disease. A mild decreasing trend in the persistence of sleep symptoms with a longer latency since infection was observed, with 66.7% reporting at least half of their symptoms present at 3–5 months after acute infection, compared to 64.9% at 6–8 months, and 62.4% at 9–11 months (p = 0.0427). However, among those after 12 or more months, over half of the symptoms persisted in 69.5%. The frequency of vivid dreams and nightmares increased in association with COVID-19 in 32.9% (p < 0.001). 9.4% (141) reported new-onset or increased parasomnic manifestations after the infection. ConclusionsOur research shows that sleep disturbances are a common and persistent manifestation of COVID-19 that affects a large proportion of the population and deserves careful monitoring.

Longitudinal Study of Early Adversity and Disturbing Dream Frequency: Moderating Role of Early Negative Emotionality.

Although disturbing dreams are prevalent in youth and are associated with psychopathology, little is known about their developmental course and risk factors. We aimed to examine the association between early social environment and subsequent disturbing dream frequency across adolescence as moderated by early negative emotionality. Measures of children's early social environment and negative emotionality were collected from the mothers of 410 children (5-42 months old) and measures of disturbing dream frequency directly from the children (13-18 years old). Preliminary steps identified subgroups of families with distinct profiles of social environment using latent variable mixture modeling, and captured changes in disturbing dream frequency using latent growth modeling. Regression and moderation analyses were conducted to test the study objectives. Results showed that the diverse family patterns were best captured by two profiles reflecting adverse and positive social environments and that overall disturbing dream frequency decreased during adolescence. Moderation analyses showed that when early negative emotionality was higher, DD frequency was not only more elevated in an adverse environment, but lower in a positive environment. These results indicate that the development of disturbing dreams is most strongly associated with a combination of individual and environment factors. Our study adds to the literature by refining our conception of individual traits and disturbing dream development and has implications for the prevention of bad dreams, nightmares, and associated psychopathologies.

Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic.

COVID-19 pandemic waves have strongly influenced individuals' behaviors and mental health. Here, we analyzed longitudinal data collected in the Spring 2020 and 2021 from a large Italian sample with the aim of assessing changes in dream features between the first and third wave. Specifically, we evaluated the modifications of pandemic dream activity as a function of the general distress variations over time. Also, we detected the best explanatory variables of nightmare frequency and distress. Participants previously involved in the web survey during the first wave of the pandemic were asked to complete a new online survey on sleep and dream features available in Spring 2021 (N=728). Subjects decreasing their level of psychological general distress in the third (T3) vs the first (T1) pandemic wave were defined as "Improved" (N=330). In contrast, participants with an unchanged or increased level of general distress were defined as "Not Improved" (N=398). Statistical comparisons revealed that dream recall frequency, nightmare frequency, lucid dream frequency, and emotional intensity show a reduction in T3 than T1. Moreover, the Improved group is characterized by lower nightmare rate and nightmare distress than Not Improved people. Our findings confirmed that beyond the trait-like variables (ie, age, sex), specific sleep-related measures are related to nightmare features. In particular, poor sleep hygiene was one of the best determinants of nightmare distress among Not Improved subjects. Our findings revealed that people experienced an adaptation to the pandemic during the third wave. We also strengthen the notion that nightmares and their variations over time are strongly related to human well-being, suggesting that specific trait-like and sleep-related factors could modulate the relationship between mental health and nightmare features.

0067 Dreams and Personality Influence Creativity

Abstract Introduction Theoretically, during dreaming, weak associations are explored, and information is combined in novel ways, which could lead to increased creativity during waking. However, little research has explored direct relationships between dreaming and objective measures of creativity and the ability to creatively solve problems. Furthermore, personality influences dream recall frequency (DRF) and other aspects of dreaming, suggesting that the relationship between dreaming and creativity may vary based on personality. The goal of the current experiment was to determine if DRF is related to creativity and creative problem-solving, and if these relationships are influenced by personality traits. Methods Seventy-six participants completed questionnaires about dreaming and the Big 5 personality traits (neuroticism, conscientiousness, openness, extraversion, agreeableness) and completed creativity and creative problem-solving tasks. Two tasks measured creativity. In one task, participants generated as many possible uses for an object as they could in one minute. In the other, they generated novel captions for five cartoons. Creative problem-solving was measured using two classic insight problem sets: the matchstick and compound remote associates tasks. Correlations were conducted to determine if DRF is related to any personality traits and multiple regressions were conducted to determine whether DRF or any personality traits predict creativity or creative problem-solving. Results DRF was negatively correlated with agreeableness, such that individuals higher in agreeableness recalled fewer dreams. The multiple regression analyses revealed that both DRF and conscientiousness are significant predictors of divergent thinking. Neither DRF nor any personality traits predicted creative problem-solving. Conclusion These results indicate that agreeableness reduces the frequency of dream recall, perhaps because agreeable individuals try to find problem solutions immediately while awake so they do not worry about them later. Consistent with current theories, frequently recalling dreams increased creativity, suggesting that the exploration of weak or novel relationships during dreaming increases creativity while awake. Conscientiousness also predicted creativity, suggesting that self-sufficient people tend to be more creative. However, frequently recalling dreams did not increase the ability to creatively solve problems. Collectively, these results suggest that personality influences dreaming behaviors and that frequent dreaming and conscientiousness promote creativity. Support (if any)

Development and Validation of a clinical scale for defining RBD severity in participants of the North American Prodromal Synucleinopathy (NAPS) consortium

AbstractBackgroundREM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a prodromal marker of α‐synucleinopathies with no standardized tool for assessing severity in clinical or research practice. RBD severity may have implications in measuring risk of phenoconversion, monitoring response to treatment and clinical trial design. This study assessed the validity of the RBD symptom severity scale (RBDSSS) and its correlation to the clinical global impression of severity (CGI‐S) in a cohort of participants enrolled in the North American Prodromal Synucleinopathy (NAPS) Consortium.MethodParticipants and their bedpartners enrolled in the NAPS cohort filled out an 8‐item questionnaire, developed by the International RBD Study Group, assessing frequency and severity of dreams, vocalizations, movements, and injuries associated with RBD, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. The CGI‐S is a 7‐point scale ranging from normal (1) to most severely ill (7) and was completed by a clinician based on an independent interview with the participant ± their bedpartners. Total scores for participant (RBDSSS‐PT) and bed partner (RBDSSS‐BP) questionnaires were derived by multiplying frequency and severity scores for each feature, then summing the products for possible maximum scores of 54 and 38 respectively.ResultThis cohort (n = 212) was predominantly male (82.5%) with a mean ± SE age of 65.16 ± 1.46 years. The median (interquartile range) for RBDSSS‐PT, RBDSSS‐BP and CGI‐S was 11 (4‐17), 8 (4‐14.3) and 3 (3‐4), respectively. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (rs) were as follows: RBDSSS‐PT vs. RBDSSS‐BP, rs = 0.579; RBDSSS‐PT vs. CGI‐S, rs = 0.642; RBDSSS‐BP vs. CGI‐S, rs = 0.487 (all P&lt;0.0001). RBDSSS‐BP scores were significantly lower in women (6 vs. 9, Chi‐Square p = 0.009) while there were no differences in RBDSSS‐PT scores by sex. (9 vs. 11, p = 0.473).ConclusionA moderate correlation was observed between RBDSSS‐PT and RBDSSS‐BP suggesting good construct validity for the scale. CGI‐S correlated most with RBDSSS‐PT and had a weaker association with RBDSSS‐BP. Women had lower severity scores as reported by bed partners unlike their self‐reported scores, indicating possible sex differences in perceived RBD severity.

Bad dream frequency predicts mental health needs during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

• Many people (∼50%) discuss their dreams with others such as friends and family members. • Bad dream frequency was positively correlated with scores on the GAD-7 (anxiety) and PHQ-9 (depression). • Age and bad dream frequency predicted, with 78% accuracy, whether a participant will score ≥10 on the PHQ-9, likely qualifying for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder.

Insomnia symptoms do, but chronotype does not show relevant associations with mental well-being and negative dream experiences

Chronotypes are diversely associated with sleep quality and mental health. Eveningness is generally associated with lower sleep quality and with increased risk for mental health complaints. Along with insomnia symptoms, frequent dysphoric dreams might be key elements of disturbed sleep, and may also indicate psychological imbalance. Our cross-sectional online study aimed to examine whether eveningness can be considered as an independent risk factor of poor mental well-being or whether this association is explained by symptoms of insomnia. Secondly, we examined the associations between eveningness and frequent dysphoric dreaming taking into account the influence of mental well-being and insomnia complaints. Method: We released an online survey with Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, Athens Insomnia Scale, General Mental Health, and frequency of dysphoric dreaming: nightmares and bad dreams separately. We analyzed the data of 2077 participants (MAGE = 28.5, SD = 9.6). Eveningness showed a weak but independent association with mental well-being. Additional analyses showed no signs of associations between eveningness and dysphoric dreaming, such as nightmares and bad dreams. The frequency of bad dreams was associated with insomnia complaints and mental well-being, but nightmare frequency was only linked to insomnia symptoms, but not to mental well-being. Insomnia complaints emerged as a more robust factor in poorer mental well-being than the eveningness preference. Eveningness was not associated with dysphoric dreaming. Restoring insomnia might be essential in individuals at risk for mental health complaints.

The Luminous Night of the Soul: The Relationship between Lucid Dreaming and Spirituality

Lucid dreams, in which the dreamers are aware that they are dreaming, can be a source of spiritual and mystical experiences. This empirical study aimed to explore the relationship between lucid dreaming and spirituality, taking into account the role of mystical lucid dream experience, in an online sample of 471 respondents, 95% of whom had lucid dream experience and 65% were frequent lucid dreamers. The findings support the relationship between lucid dreaming and spirituality: spiritual transcendence was positively associated with both lucid dream frequency and mystical lucid dream experiences. Thus having recurrent lucid dreams and mystical experiences in them may foster spiritual growth, rendering lucid dreaming possibly a viable spiritual practice, especially within the secular context. However, the correlative nature of the present research does not imply causality and further longitudinal research confirming this is needed.

Distressing dreams, cognitive decline, and risk of dementia: A prospective study of three population-based cohorts.

SummaryBackgroundDistressing dreams are associated with faster cognitive decline and increased dementia risk in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Whether distressing dreams might be associated with cognitive decline and dementia in people without PD is unknown. This study investigated the association between self-reported distressing dream frequency and the risk of cognitive decline and incident dementia in community-dwelling men and women without cognitive impairment or PD.MethodsRisk of cognitive decline was evaluated in 605 middle-aged adults (mean age = 50 years [IQR 44–57]; 55·7% female) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, who were cognitively normal at baseline, and were followed-up for a maximum of 13 years (IQR 9–10). Cognitive decline was defined as having an annual rate of decline in global cognitive function (measured using five cognitive tests) ≥ 1 standard deviation faster than the mean decline rate from baseline to follow-up. Risk of incident all-cause dementia was evaluated in 2600 older adults (mean age = 83 years [IQR 81–84]; 56·7% female) pooled from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS) and the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF), who were dementia-free at baseline, and were followed-up for up a maximum of 7 years (IQR 4–5). Incident dementia was based on doctor-diagnosis. Frequency of distressing dreams was assessed in all cohorts at baseline (January 2002 – March 2012) using item 5h of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The association between self-reported distressing dream frequency (“never”, “less than weekly”, “weekly”) and later cognitive outcomes, was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression in both the middle-aged and pooled older adult cohorts.FindingsAfter adjustment for all covariates, a higher frequency of distressing dreams was linearly and statistically significantly associated with higher risk of cognitive decline amongst middle-aged adults (P for trend = 0·016), and higher risk of incident all-cause dementia amongst older adults (P for trend <0·001). Compared with middle-aged adults who reported having no distressing dreams at baseline, those who reported having weekly distressing dreams had a 4-fold risk of experiencing cognitive decline (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3·99; 95% CI: 1·07, 14·85). Amongst older adults, the difference in dementia risk was 2·2-fold (aOR = 2·21; 95% CI: 1·35, 3·62). In sex-stratified analyses, the associations between distressing dreams and both cognitive outcomes were only statistically significant amongst men.InterpretationDistressing dreams predict cognitive decline and all-cause dementia in middle-aged and older adults without cognitive impairment or PD - especially amongst men. These findings may help to identify individuals at risk of dementia and could facilitate early prevention strategies.FundingThe study received no external funding.

The role of mindful acceptance and lucid dreaming in nightmare frequency and distress

A theoretical and empirical association between lucid dreaming and mindfulness, as well as lucid dreaming and nightmares has previously been observed; however, the relationship between nightmares and mindfulness has received surprisingly little attention. Here, we present the findings of two studies exploring the relation of nightmare frequency and distress with two components of mindfulness, termed presence and acceptance, as well as lucid dreaming. Study 1 (N = 338) consisted of a low percentage of frequent lucid dreamers whereas Study 2 (N = 187) consisted primarily of frequent lucid dreamers that used lucid dream induction training techniques and meditation. Across studies, nightmare-related variables showed a more robust association with mindful acceptance as opposed to mindful presence. Moreover, individuals with high levels of meditation expertise and practice of lucid dreaming induction techniques reported lower nightmare frequency. Finally, in Study 2, which consisted of frequent lucid dreamers, a positive correlation between lucid dreaming frequency and mindfulness was apparent. The present findings support the notion that wakeful mindfulness is associated with the quality of dreams and extend previous research by suggesting a disentangled role of the two facets of mindfulness in dream variation. This association remains open for experimental manipulation, the result of which could have clinical implications.

Lucid dreaming increased during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online survey.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s lives all over the world. While anxiety and stress decreased sleep quality for most people, an increase in total sleep time was also observed in certain cohorts. Dream recall frequency also increased, especially for nightmares. However, to date, there are no consistent reports focusing on pandemic-related changes in lucid dreaming, a state during which dreamers become conscious of being in a dream as it unfolds. Here we investigated lucid dreaming recall frequency and other sleep variables in 1,857 Brazilian subjects, using an online questionnaire. Firstly, we found that most participants (64.78%) maintained their lucid dream recall frequency during the pandemic, but a considerable fraction (22.62%) informed that lucid dreams became more frequent, whereas a smaller subset (12.60%) reported a decrease in these events during the pandemic. Secondly, the number of participants reporting lucid dreams at least once per week increased during the pandemic. Using a mixed logistic regression model, we confirmed that the pandemic significantly enhanced the recall frequency of lucid dreams (p = 0.002). Such increase in lucid dreaming during the pandemic was significantly associated with an enhancement in both dream and nightmare recall frequencies, as well as with sleep quality and symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder. Pandemic-related increases in stress, anxiety, sleep fragmentation, and sleep extension, which enhance REM sleep awakening, may be associated with the increase in the occurrence of lucid dreams, dreams in general, and nightmares.