Affective and Personality Characteristics in Function of Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Interference Due to Nightmares.

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationships among nightmare frequency, nightmare distress, and interference due to nightmares, sleep quality, psychopathology (anxiety and depression), and personality (neuroticism, psychoticism, and boundaries). The nightmare parameters were evaluated with the Nightmare Frequency Questionnaire (B. Krakow et al., 2000), the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (K. Belicki, 1992b), and the Nightmare Effects Survey (Krakow et al., 2000). The sample was composed of 147 healthy students. The results demonstrated that the 2 measurements of distress (subjective distress associated with nightmares and, especially, deterioration of psychosocial functioning) were the dimensions that best related to the variables studied, although the relationships were modulated by nightmare frequency. The parameter of nightmare frequency was found to be useful as an indicator of certain personality characteristics rather than psychological perturbation. Having nightmares on a weekly basis was strongly associated with depressed mood. The knowledge about these relations is relevant not only theoretically but also as a practical guide.

Waking‐hour cerebral activations in nightmare disorder: A resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

“…The hyperactivity of the inferior parietal lobule found in PTSD might indicate that it was involved in the hypervigilance of nightmare disorder. Indeed, frequent nightmare sufferers are more neurotic and more likely to be influenced by their nightmares . Moreover, personality traits might mediate the relation between nightmares and their consequences; for example, in one study, neurotic individuals had more physical complaints and considered their nightmares as indications of uneasy feelings .…”

Some Personality Characteristics of College Students Reporting Frequent Nightmares

“…Hartmann (1991) proposed that nightmares partly result from thin psychological boundaries -separations between contents of the mind such as conscious and unconscious elements. Previous studies have supported that individuals with thinner psychological boundaries experience more unpleasant and bizarre dreams (i.e., nightmares) than those with thicker boundaries (Kunzendorf, Hartmann, Cohen, & Cutler, 1997;Miro & Martinez, 2005;Schredl, 2003).…”

Dreaming and health promotion: A theoretical proposal and some epidemiological establishments

“…Considering the interaction between environment and personality, according to converging evidence environmental stress enhances the frequency of nightmares, primarily in those who are characterised by emotional instability (SCHREDL 2003b;. The frequency of nightmares and even more the distress caused by nightmares and disturbing dreams are prevalent in several psychopathologic states (MIRÓ & MARTÍNEZ 2005;. In a longitudinal study NIELSEN and colleagues (2000) found that the prevalence of disturbing dreams is also frequent in adolescents with trait anxiety symptoms.…”