Nightmare frequency is associated with subjective sleep quality but not with psychopathology

作者：Lancee Jaap^*; Spoormaker Victor I; Van den Bout Jan

来源：Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 2010, 8(3): 187-193.

DOI：10.1111/j.1479-8425.2010.00447.x

• behavior and cognition
• nightmares
• parasomnias

This study aimed to evaluate all known and hypothesized predictors for nightmare frequency measures in a population with frequent nightmares. A total of 666 Internet-recruited participants completed questionnaires on nightmares, sleep, and psychopathology, 146 of whom further completed a subsequent 7-day diary. In contrast to previous research, comparison of questionnaire- and diary-measured nightmare frequency revealed a significantly higher log-transformed nightmare frequency on the questionnaire: t(127) = 4.43; P < 0.001. No differences were found regarding the number of nights with nightmares, t(127) = 0.61; P = 0.54. Regression analyses showed that subjective sleep quality was the only variable significantly associated with nightmare frequency variables in the whole sample (R2 (adj) between 10.5-11.5%; P < 0.01). These results support the notion that nightmares are independent from other mental complaints in a population of nightmare sufferers and should therefore be viewed from a sleep medicine perspective: as a sleep disorder that can and should receive specific attention and treatment.

• 出版日期2010-7