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Exploring the Links Between Dream Experience, Nightmares, Sleep-Related Disturbances, and Subjective Well-Being

Received: 9 April 2023     Accepted: 25 April 2023     Published: 10 May 2023
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the subjective experience of dreams, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Specifically, the study aimed to explore whether the subjective experience of dreams, including how often dreams are remembered, the presence of nightmares, and the way in which a person thinks about dreams, could influence the occurrence of subjective state and trait anxiety, as well as depression. Nightmares, a subset of dreams characterized by high distress and negative tone, were of particular interest, as they can significantly impact a person's well-being and contribute to anxiety and depression. The study also examined the possible influence of recent stress, as well as sleep-related disturbances such as insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, and nocturnal awakenings. A national online survey using Qualtrics forms was utilized to collect the data. The study involved 431 participants (124 males). All participants completed the DQ scale, a questionnaire with a three-factor structure: dream recall, nightmare distress, and dream meaning; the STAI Form Y1-Y2 and the BDI-II. Overall, results suggests that the presence of nightmares is associated with higher levels of depressive distress and increased intensity of both state and trait anxiety. Additionally, the findings indicate that depression is more severe in individuals experiencing recent stress, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings during the night. Even stable anxious traits of an individual appear to be more intense and contribute to frequent awakenings during the night. The frequency of nightmares is also linked to stress, overexertion, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings during the night. Interestingly, the memory of dreams is also related to the level of stress experienced by individuals, with those experiencing recent stress tending to recall their dreams more often. Present results are of clear clinical significance providing insight into possible treatment opportunities. Future studies should aim to utilize more representative sample, including different psychiatric populations and individuals with various sleep disorders, to further explore these associations.

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 12, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajap.20231202.13
Page(s) 47-55
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Dreams Experiences, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Sleep Disturbances

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Ornella Montebarocci, Paola Surcinelli, Sara Giovagnoli. (2023). Exploring the Links Between Dream Experience, Nightmares, Sleep-Related Disturbances, and Subjective Well-Being. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 12(2), 47-55. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231202.13

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    ACS Style

    Ornella Montebarocci; Paola Surcinelli; Sara Giovagnoli. Exploring the Links Between Dream Experience, Nightmares, Sleep-Related Disturbances, and Subjective Well-Being. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2023, 12(2), 47-55. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20231202.13

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    AMA Style

    Ornella Montebarocci, Paola Surcinelli, Sara Giovagnoli. Exploring the Links Between Dream Experience, Nightmares, Sleep-Related Disturbances, and Subjective Well-Being. Am J Appl Psychol. 2023;12(2):47-55. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20231202.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajap.20231202.13,
      author = {Ornella Montebarocci and Paola Surcinelli and Sara Giovagnoli},
      title = {Exploring the Links Between Dream Experience, Nightmares, Sleep-Related Disturbances, and Subjective Well-Being},
      journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
      volume = {12},
      number = {2},
      pages = {47-55},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20231202.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231202.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20231202.13},
      abstract = {The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the subjective experience of dreams, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Specifically, the study aimed to explore whether the subjective experience of dreams, including how often dreams are remembered, the presence of nightmares, and the way in which a person thinks about dreams, could influence the occurrence of subjective state and trait anxiety, as well as depression. Nightmares, a subset of dreams characterized by high distress and negative tone, were of particular interest, as they can significantly impact a person's well-being and contribute to anxiety and depression. The study also examined the possible influence of recent stress, as well as sleep-related disturbances such as insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, and nocturnal awakenings. A national online survey using Qualtrics forms was utilized to collect the data. The study involved 431 participants (124 males). All participants completed the DQ scale, a questionnaire with a three-factor structure: dream recall, nightmare distress, and dream meaning; the STAI Form Y1-Y2 and the BDI-II. Overall, results suggests that the presence of nightmares is associated with higher levels of depressive distress and increased intensity of both state and trait anxiety. Additionally, the findings indicate that depression is more severe in individuals experiencing recent stress, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings during the night. Even stable anxious traits of an individual appear to be more intense and contribute to frequent awakenings during the night. The frequency of nightmares is also linked to stress, overexertion, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings during the night. Interestingly, the memory of dreams is also related to the level of stress experienced by individuals, with those experiencing recent stress tending to recall their dreams more often. Present results are of clear clinical significance providing insight into possible treatment opportunities. Future studies should aim to utilize more representative sample, including different psychiatric populations and individuals with various sleep disorders, to further explore these associations.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
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    AU  - Ornella Montebarocci
    AU  - Paola Surcinelli
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    JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231202.13
    AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the subjective experience of dreams, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Specifically, the study aimed to explore whether the subjective experience of dreams, including how often dreams are remembered, the presence of nightmares, and the way in which a person thinks about dreams, could influence the occurrence of subjective state and trait anxiety, as well as depression. Nightmares, a subset of dreams characterized by high distress and negative tone, were of particular interest, as they can significantly impact a person's well-being and contribute to anxiety and depression. The study also examined the possible influence of recent stress, as well as sleep-related disturbances such as insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, and nocturnal awakenings. A national online survey using Qualtrics forms was utilized to collect the data. The study involved 431 participants (124 males). All participants completed the DQ scale, a questionnaire with a three-factor structure: dream recall, nightmare distress, and dream meaning; the STAI Form Y1-Y2 and the BDI-II. Overall, results suggests that the presence of nightmares is associated with higher levels of depressive distress and increased intensity of both state and trait anxiety. Additionally, the findings indicate that depression is more severe in individuals experiencing recent stress, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings during the night. Even stable anxious traits of an individual appear to be more intense and contribute to frequent awakenings during the night. The frequency of nightmares is also linked to stress, overexertion, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings during the night. Interestingly, the memory of dreams is also related to the level of stress experienced by individuals, with those experiencing recent stress tending to recall their dreams more often. Present results are of clear clinical significance providing insight into possible treatment opportunities. Future studies should aim to utilize more representative sample, including different psychiatric populations and individuals with various sleep disorders, to further explore these associations.
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Author Information
  • Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

  • Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

  • Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

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