Subjectively estimated effects of nightmares on sleep onset latency and sleep quality: a cross-sectional study.
Cross-sectional studies have established consistent associations between nightmare frequency, waking anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Yet, little is known about the extent to which individuals explicitly attribute sleep impairments to nightmares. This study examines subjectively estimated effects of...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Mar 19, 2026
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| In: |
Dreaming
Year: 2026, Pages: 1-9 |
| ISSN: | 1573-3351 |
| DOI: | 10.1037/drm0000338 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1037/drm0000338 Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=c4ace511-2bd9-3343-880b-ec5ca4cd5446 
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| Author Notes: | Julia Grabowski and Michael Schredl |
| Summary: | Cross-sectional studies have established consistent associations between nightmare frequency, waking anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Yet, little is known about the extent to which individuals explicitly attribute sleep impairments to nightmares. This study examines subjectively estimated effects of nightmares on overall sleep quality and on sleep onset latency due to fear of nightmares. A sample of 285 participants (221 women, 60 men, and 4 nonbinary) with a mean age of 24.00 ± 7.51 years completed a questionnaire. The findings extend prior research on the interplay between anxiety, sleep quality, and nightmare frequency: Approximately 10% and over 40% reported that nightmares affect sleep onset due to the fear of nightmares and overall sleep quality, respectively. As hypothesized, individuals with more frequent nightmares and higher anxiety levels were more likely to report negative effects of nightmares on sleep onset latency and sleep quality. Our findings suggest that combining therapeutic techniques for treating nightmares, sleep problems, and waking anxiety might be beneficial for nightmare sufferers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved) |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 31.01.2026 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1573-3351 |
| DOI: | 10.1037/drm0000338 |