Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep and dreams: Study in a Portuguese sample.

Abstract

Research has shown that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were significant changes in sleep quality and dream activity. An increase in dream and nightmare recall frequency and a predominance of aversive emotional and phantasmatic dream content were recorded. The objective of the study was to analyze the pandemic's socio-occupational, psychological and experiential impact, focusing on sleep quality, dream/nightmare recall, and the emotional content of dreams in a sample of Portugal’s adult resident population. Online data collection involved 1,020 adults ≥ 18 years (67.1% women). The research protocol included several questions regarding demographics, subjective experience of the pandemic, and its perceived impact on respondents’ personal social networks, sleep habits, and dream content. The pandemic substantially affected participants’ social interactions and mental health, with 17.2% reporting the death of a significant person. Overall sleep quality decreased during the pandemic, whereas dream/nightmare recall increased, and 27% of the respondents dreamed about COVID-19, reporting negative emotions and sensations in these dreams. Higher dream/nightmare recall was especially related to changes in sleep patterns, namely, increased nocturnal awakenings and sleep latency. Younger people, those belonging to a high-risk group, those reporting a higher subjective concern about the pandemic, those experiencing the death of a significant person, and those with self-reported employment and mental health problems were more likely to dream about COVID-19. Our findings add to psychological sleep and dream research regarding the function of dreams during collective stressful events. Considering the significant connection among mental health, sleep patterns, and dream content, research and clinical implications are discussed.

Dreaming about the pandemic: A thematic content analysis of COVID-19-related dreams during the outbreak in Portugal.

“…If previous research during the COVID-19 pandemic suggested sleep and dream monitoring as an essential asset in public mental health, that could assist in the identification of vulnerable/high-risk groups during collective crises (Mota et al, 2020; Scarpelli et al, 2021; Schredl & Bulkeley, 2020; Simões et al, 2023), results from this study indicate that dream content analysis might also play a relevant role in this endeavor. Our results also support the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic conception that understanding the relationship between waking and oneiric mental life is extremely helpful in psychotherapeutic settings (Leuzinger-Bohleber & Fonagy, 2012).…”

“…Several studies have reported changes in the frequency and content of dreams and nightmares during the COVID-19 pandemic, including themes related to hygiene, confinement, contamination, illness, and loss of loved ones, which are representative of pandemic fears (Kennedy & Grandner, 2021;Mota et al, 2020). A previous Portuguese study (Simões et al, 2023) corroborated these findings, providing empirical evidence that waking-life experiences significantly influenced dream content since those who reported more significant concern about the pandemic and those who experienced the death of loved ones were more likely to dream about COVID-19. According to this study, fear, anguish, and sadness were the primary emotions related to COVID-19 dreams.…”

“…COVID-19 significantly impacted mental health due to the restrictions imposed, particularly social isolation (Simões et al, 2023; Solomonova et al, 2021). Studies have shown an increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms and changes in sleep patterns and dream experiences during the pandemic (Kennedy & Grandner, 2021).…”

“…Studies have shown an increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms and changes in sleep patterns and dream experiences during the pandemic (Kennedy & Grandner, 2021). Sleep quality is influenced by several factors, from light exposure and sleep timing to situational stress and anxiety (Kennedy & Grandner, 2021; Simões et al, 2023). On the other hand, dream research has consistently indicated that dreams reflect daytime experiences and concerns, a feature that allowed the formulation of the continuity hypothesis of dreaming (Domhoff, 1996).…”

“…In summary, dream content analysis during the pandemic has provided empirical backing to psychoanalytic perspectives on dreaming (Giovanardi et al, 2022; Iorio et al, 2020), as well as to the ERT (Mota et al, 2020), TST (Giovanardi et al, 2022; Mota et al, 2020; Pesonen et al, 2020), and SST (Mota et al, 2020; Schredl & Bulkeley, 2020). If increased dream recall seems to be associated with changes in sleep patterns, namely an increase in nocturnal awakenings (Simões et al, 2023), dream content appears to be particularly connected to waking-life experiences and concerns (Revonsuo, 2000). Thus, researchers have concluded that dream analysis provides a viable way to understand the subjective impact of specific events on individuals (Mota et al, 2020).…”