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Camaioni M, Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, Calzolari R, De Bartolo M, Mangiaruga A, Couyoumdjian A, De Gennaro L. How COVID-19 Affected Sleep Talking Episodes, Sleep and Dreams? Brain Sci 2024; 14:486. [PMID: 38790464 PMCID: PMC11119596 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic increased symptoms of stress and anxiety and induced changes in sleep quality, dream activity, and parasomnia episodes. It has been shown that stressful factors and/or bad sleep habits can affect parasomnia behaviors. However, investigations on how COVID-19 has affected sleep, dreams, and episode frequency in parasomnias are rare. The current study focuses on the impact of the pandemic on a specific parasomnia characterized by speech production (sleep talking, ST). METHODS We selected 27 participants with frequent ST episodes (STs) during the pandemic and compared them with 27 participants with frequent STs from a previous study conducted during a pre-pandemic period. All participants performed home monitoring through sleep logs and recorded their nocturnal STs for one week. RESULTS We observed a higher frequency of STs in the pandemic group. Moreover, STs were related to the emotional intensity of dreams, independent of the pandemic condition. The pandemic was associated with lower bizarreness of dreams in the pandemic group. There were no differences in sleep variables between the two groups. CONCLUSION Overall, these results suggest a stressful effect of COVID-19 on the frequency of STs. Both the pandemic and the frequency of STs affect qualitative characteristics of dreams in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Camaioni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Valentina Alfonsi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Rossana Calzolari
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Mina De Bartolo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Anastasia Mangiaruga
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Alessandro Couyoumdjian
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
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Loukola V, Tuominen J, Kirsilä S, Kyyhkynen A, Lahdenperä M, Parkkali L, Ranta E, Malinen E, Vanhanen S, Välimaa K, Olkoniemi H, Revonsuo A, Valli K. Viral simulations in dreams: The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on threatening dream content in a Finnish sample of diary dreams. Conscious Cogn 2024; 119:103651. [PMID: 38335898 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Previous research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected dreaming negatively. We compared 1132 dreams collected with prospective two-week dream diary during the pandemic to 166 dreams collected before the pandemic. We hypothesized that the pandemic would increase the number of threatening events, threats related to diseases, and the severity of threats. We also hypothesized that dreams that include direct references to the pandemic will include more threatening events, more disease-related threats, and more severe threats. In contradiction with our hypotheses, results showed no differences between pandemic and pre-pandemic samples in the number of threats, threats related to diseases, or severe threats. However, dreams with direct references to the pandemic had more threats, disease-related threats, and severe threats. Our results thus do not suggest a significant overall increase in nightmarish or threatening dream content during the pandemic but show a more profound effect on a minority of dreams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ville Loukola
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - Jarno Tuominen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Santeri Kirsilä
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Annimaaria Kyyhkynen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Maron Lahdenperä
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Lilja Parkkali
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Emilia Ranta
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eveliina Malinen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Sanni Vanhanen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Katariina Välimaa
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Henri Olkoniemi
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Division of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Antti Revonsuo
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Katja Valli
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
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3
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Bolstad CJ, Holzinger B, Scarpelli S, De Gennaro L, Yordanova J, Koumanova S, Mota-Rolim S, Benedict C, Bjorvatn B, Chan NY, Chung F, Dauvilliers Y, Espie CA, Inoue Y, Korman M, Koscec Bjelajac A, Landtblom AM, Matsui K, Merikanto I, Morin CM, Partinen M, Penzel T, Plazzi G, Reis C, Ross B, Wing YK, Nadorff MR. Nightmare frequency is a risk factor for suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Sleep Res 2024:e14165. [PMID: 38366677 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The association between nightmare frequency (NMF) and suicidal ideation (SI) is well known, yet the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this relation is inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate changes in NMF, SI, and their association during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in 16 countries using a harmonised questionnaire. The sample included 9328 individuals (4848 women; age M[SD] = 46.85 [17.75] years), and 17.60% reported previous COVID-19. Overall, SI was significantly 2% lower during the pandemic vs. before, and this was consistent across genders and ages. Most countries/regions demonstrated decreases in SI during this pandemic, with Austria (-9.57%), Sweden (-6.18%), and Bulgaria (-5.14%) exhibiting significant declines in SI, but Italy (1.45%) and Portugal (2.45%) demonstrated non-significant increases. Suicidal ideation was more common in participants with long-COVID (21.10%) vs. short-COVID (12.40%), though SI did not vary by COVID-19 history. Nightmare frequency increased by 4.50% during the pandemic and was significantly higher in those with previous COVID-19 (14.50% vs. 10.70%), during infection (23.00% vs. 8.10%), and in those with long-COVID (18.00% vs. 8.50%). The relation between NMF and SI was not significantly stronger during the pandemic than prior (rs = 0.18 vs. 0.14; z = 2.80). Frequent nightmares during the pandemic increased the likelihood of reporting SI (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.20-2.05), while frequent dream recall during the pandemic served a protective effect (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.59-0.94). These findings have important implications for identifying those at risk of suicide and may offer a potential pathway for suicide prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney J Bolstad
- Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute of Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Postgraduate Sleep Coaching, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Juliana Yordanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Silvia Koumanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Sérgio Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Christian Benedict
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ngan Yin Chan
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep and Wake Disorders Centre, Department of Neurology, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, University of Montpellier, INSERM Institute Neuroscience Montpellier (INM), Montpellier, France
| | - Colin A Espie
- Sir Jules Thorn Sleep & Circadian Neuroscience Institute and Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yuichi Inoue
- Department of Somnology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maria Korman
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | | | - Anne-Marie Landtblom
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kentaro Matsui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Orton Orthopaedics Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Charles M Morin
- Laval University, Department of Psychology and Centre de recherche CERVO/Brain Research Center, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas Penzel
- Sleep Medicine Center, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cátia Reis
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Católica Research Centre for Psychological - Family and Social Welbeing, Lisbon, Portugal
- João Lobo Antunes Institute of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Biserka Ross
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Yun Kwok Wing
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael R Nadorff
- Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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4
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Pachi A, Tselebis A, Sikaras C, Sideri EP, Ivanidou M, Baras S, Milionis C, Ilias I. Nightmare distress, insomnia and resilience of nursing staff in the post-pandemic era. AIMS Public Health 2023; 11:36-57. [PMID: 38617404 PMCID: PMC11007420 DOI: 10.3934/publichealth.2024003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The pandemic has led to notable psychological challenges among healthcare professionals, including nurses. Objective Our aims of this study were to assess insomnia and nightmare distress levels in nurses and investigate their association with mental resilience. Methods Nurses participated in an online survey, which included the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Demographic information, such as age, professional experience and gender, was also collected. Results The study included 355 female and 78 male nurses. Findings revealed that 61.4% had abnormal AIS scores, 7% had abnormal NDQ scores and 25.4% had low BRS scores. Female nurses had higher AIS and NDQ scores but lower BRS scores compared to males. BRS demonstrated negative correlations with both AIS and NDQ. Multiple regression analysis indicated that NDQ accounted for 24% of the AIS variance, with an additional 6.5% explained by the BRS. BRS acted as a mediator, attenuating the impact of nightmares on insomnia, with gender moderating this relationship. Conclusions Nursing staff experienced heightened sleep disturbances during the pandemic, with nightmares and insomnia being prevalent. Nightmares significantly contributed to insomnia, but mental resilience played a vital role in mitigating this effect. Strategies are warranted to address the pandemic's psychological impact on nursing professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Argyro Pachi
- Psychiatric Department, Sotiria Thoracic Diseases Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios Tselebis
- Psychiatric Department, Sotiria Thoracic Diseases Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Sikaras
- Nursing Department, Sotiria Thoracic Diseases Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Paraskevi Sideri
- Emergency Department of General Hospital of Athens Korgialeneio-Benakeio Hellenic Red Cross, 11526, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Ivanidou
- Psychiatric Department, Sotiria Thoracic Diseases Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Spyros Baras
- Psychiatric Department, Sotiria Thoracic Diseases Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Ioannis Ilias
- Department of Endocrinology, “Elena Venizelou” Hospital, 11521 Athens, Greece
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5
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Koppehele-Gossel J, Weinmann LM, Klimke A, Windmann S, Voss U. Dreaming during a pandemic: Low incorporation of COVID-19-specific themes and lucidity in dreams of psychiatric patients and healthy controls. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100364. [PMID: 36589551 PMCID: PMC9790876 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the emotional quality of dreams, the incorporation of pandemic-related themes, and the occurrence of lucid dreaming. Dream reports and lucidity ratings of psychiatric outpatients (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 81) during two lockdowns in Germany were compared to those of healthy controls (n = 33) before the pandemic. Results confirmed previous reports that pandemic-specific themes were incorporated into dreams. Overall, however, incorporation into dreams was rare. Contrary to expectations, psychiatric outpatients did not differ from controls in the frequency of dream incorporation of pandemic-related content. Moreover, incorporation was independent of psychiatric symptoms and loneliness. Loneliness was, however, associated with threat-related content, suggesting that it represents a risk for bad dreams but not for crisis-specific dream incorporation. Regarding lucid dreaming, both groups had similar scores for its underlying core dimensions, i.e., insight, control, and dissociation, during the two lockdowns. Scores for control and dissociation but not insight were lower compared to the pre-pandemic sample. Our working hypothesis is that REM sleep during lockdowns intensified as a means of increased emotional consolidation, rendering the associated mental state less hybrid and thereby less lucid.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lena-Marie Weinmann
- Department of Psychology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Building PEG, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6, Frankfurt/Main 60629, Germany
| | - Ansgar Klimke
- Department of Clinical Sleep Research, VITOS Hochtaunus Klinik, Friedrichsdorf, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Duesseldorf University, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Sabine Windmann
- Department of Psychology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Building PEG, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6, Frankfurt/Main 60629, Germany
| | - Ursula Voss
- Department of Clinical Sleep Research, VITOS Hochtaunus Klinik, Friedrichsdorf, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Building PEG, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6, Frankfurt/Main 60629, Germany
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Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Camaioni M, Gorgoni M, Albano A, Musetti A, Quattropani MC, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L, Franceschini C. Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic. Nat Sci Sleep 2023; 15:435-447. [PMID: 37313311 PMCID: PMC10259600 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s410732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose COVID-19 pandemic waves have strongly influenced individuals' behaviors and mental health. Here, we analyzed longitudinal data collected in the Spring 2020 and 2021 from a large Italian sample with the aim of assessing changes in dream features between the first and third wave. Specifically, we evaluated the modifications of pandemic dream activity as a function of the general distress variations over time. Also, we detected the best explanatory variables of nightmare frequency and distress. Materials and Methods Participants previously involved in the web survey during the first wave of the pandemic were asked to complete a new online survey on sleep and dream features available in Spring 2021 (N=728). Subjects decreasing their level of psychological general distress in the third (T3) vs the first (T1) pandemic wave were defined as "Improved" (N=330). In contrast, participants with an unchanged or increased level of general distress were defined as "Not Improved" (N=398). Results Statistical comparisons revealed that dream recall frequency, nightmare frequency, lucid dream frequency, and emotional intensity show a reduction in T3 than T1. Moreover, the Improved group is characterized by lower nightmare rate and nightmare distress than Not Improved people. Our findings confirmed that beyond the trait-like variables (ie, age, sex), specific sleep-related measures are related to nightmare features. In particular, poor sleep hygiene was one of the best determinants of nightmare distress among Not Improved subjects. Conclusion Our findings revealed that people experienced an adaptation to the pandemic during the third wave. We also strengthen the notion that nightmares and their variations over time are strongly related to human well-being, suggesting that specific trait-like and sleep-related factors could modulate the relationship between mental health and nightmare features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Milena Camaioni
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Albano
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Maria Catena Quattropani
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Christian Franceschini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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7
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Margherita G, Caffieri A. An observatory on changes in dreaming during a pandemic: a living systematic review (part 1). J Sleep Res 2023; 32:e13742. [PMID: 36320190 PMCID: PMC9877779 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
A 'new' way of dreaming has emerged during the pandemic, enhancing the interest of psychological literature. Indeed, during the years of the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many studies have investigated dream-related phenomena and dreaming functions. Considering the constant and rapid emergence of new results on this topic, the main aim of this study was to create an 'observatory' on the short- and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on dreaming, by means of a living systematic review. The baseline results are presented, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines, to identify and discuss existing studies about dreams and dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic published until February 2022. Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, and PubMed were used for the search strategy, yielding 71 eligible papers included in the review. Our results show: (a) a more intense oneiric activity during lockdown; (b) changes in dreaming components (especially dream-recall and nightmare frequency); (c) a particular dreaming scenario ('pandemic dreams'); (d) an alteration of the dreaming-waking-life continuum and a specific function of dreaming as emotional regulator. Findings suggest that monitoring changes in dreaming provides important information about psychological health and could also contribute to the debate on the difficulties of dreaming, as well as sleeping, in particular during and after a period of 'collective trauma'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Margherita
- Department of Humanistic StudiesUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
| | - Alessia Caffieri
- Department of Humanistic StudiesUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
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8
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Raffaelli Q, Andrews ES, Cegavske CC, Abraham FF, Edgin JO, Andrews-Hanna JR. Dreams share phenomenological similarities with task-unrelated thoughts and relate to variation in trait rumination and COVID-19 concern. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7102. [PMID: 37130841 PMCID: PMC10152021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33767-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
While recent neurocognitive theories have proposed links between dreams and waking life, it remains unclear what kinds of waking thoughts are most similar in their phenomenological characteristics to those of dreams. To investigate this question and examine relevance of dreams to significant personal concerns and dispositional mental health traits, we employed ecological momentary assessment and trait questionnaires across 719 young adults who completed the study during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time marked by considerable societal concern. Across the group and at the level of individual differences, dreams showed the highest correspondence with task-unrelated thoughts. Participants who self-reported greater COVID-19 concern rated their dreams as more negative and unconstructive, a relationship which was moderated by trait rumination. Furthermore, dreams perceived as more negative unconstructive and immersive in nature associated with increased trait rumination beyond variation in rumination explained by waking task-unrelated thoughts alone. Together, these results point to similarities between perceived characteristics of dreams and task-unrelated thoughts, and support a relationship between dreams, current concerns, and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Raffaelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
- Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - Eric S Andrews
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Caitlin C Cegavske
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Freya F Abraham
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jamie O Edgin
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jessica R Andrews-Hanna
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
- Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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9
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Simor P, Peigneux P, Bódizs R. Sleep and dreaming in the light of reactive and predictive homeostasis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105104. [PMID: 36804397 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Dreams are often viewed as fascinating but irrelevant mental epihenomena of the sleeping mind with questionable functional relevance. Despite long hours of oneiric activity, and high individual differences in dream recall, dreams are lost into oblivion. Here, we conceptualize dreaming and dream amnesia as inherent aspects of the reactive and predictive homeostatic functions of sleep. Mental activity during sleep conforms to the interplay of restorative processes and future anticipation, and particularly during the second half of the night, it unfolds as a special form of non-constrained, self-referent, and future-oriented cognitive process. Awakening facilitates constrained, goal-directed prospection that competes for shared neural resources with dream production and dream recall, and contributes to dream amnesia. We present the neurophysiological aspects of reactive and predictive homeostasis during sleep, highlighting the putative role of cortisol in predictive homeostasis and forgetting dreams. The theoretical and methodological aspects of our proposal are discussed in relation to the study of dreaming, dream recall, and sleep-related cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Simor
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN - Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN - Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Róbert Bódizs
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
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10
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Na'imah, Muassomah, Mubaraq Z, Hendriani S, Hussin M, Ischak R, Andini R. Language and COVID-19: A discourse analysis of resistance to lockdown in Indonesia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13551. [PMID: 36789390 PMCID: PMC9911149 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Communities in Indonesia were resistant to lockdown policies, Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) and the Enactment of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM). Both policies were implemented numerous times in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these caused widespread unrest. Language with the terms PSBB and PPKM, which several times extended suddenly, not informed to the community, inconsistent in its implementation, makes the community feel mad, neglected the needs of their life, and severe rejections. This research was conducted with a qualitative approach sourced from primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained from electronic media news that shows public resistance and government policies published through the official government web. Meanwhile, secondary data were obtained from journal articles discussing community resistance related to policies to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that various terms translated from the term lockdown to the time PSBB and PPKM had consequences for policy misalignment with community expectations. The switching of language from lockdown to PSBB and PPKM has caused resistance in the community because it has allowed the government to be economically irresponsible. Therefore, the government needs to inform and be responsible, so that policies can run effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na'imah
- Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Muassomah
- Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim, Indonesia
| | - Zulfi Mubaraq
- Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim, Indonesia
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11
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Geller S, Van den Brink G, Akerman Y, Levy S, Shazar T, Goldzweig G. Dreams Shared on Social Networks during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Tower of Babel or Noah's Ark?-A Group-Analytic Perspective. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3534. [PMID: 36834229 PMCID: PMC9959154 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Dream sharing is a universal practice, and various incentives have been identified, including emotional processing, emotional relief, and demands for containment. Shared dreams can contribute to an individual's understanding of social reality during traumatic and stressful events. The present study examined dreams shared on social network sites (SNS) during the first COVID-19 lockdown, applying a group-analytic approach. A qualitative dream content analysis conducted by a group of researchers analyzed 30 dreams shared on SNS, focusing on their contents, dominant emotions, and unique group processes. The dream content analysis yielded three meaningful and coherent themes: (1) dominant threats: enemy, danger, and COVID-19; (2) emotional fusion: confusion and despair alongside recovery and hope; and (3) group processes characterized by movement between being alone and being together. The results deepen our understanding of both unique social and psychological group processes and of people's main experiences and key psychological coping mechanisms in times of collective trauma and natural disasters. They also demonstrate the transformative potential of dreamtelling for individuals' coping experiences and building hope through the creative social relationships formed within SNS groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulamit Geller
- School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 68182, Israel
| | - Gal Van den Brink
- School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 68182, Israel
| | - Yehoshua Akerman
- School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 68182, Israel
| | - Sigal Levy
- Statistical Education Unit, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 68182, Israel
| | - Tuli Shazar
- School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 68182, Israel
| | - Gil Goldzweig
- School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 68182, Israel
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12
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Abbas NH, Samson DR. Dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic: Support for the threat simulation function of dreams. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1124772. [PMID: 36814654 PMCID: PMC9939895 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1124772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary theories suggest that dreams function as a world simulator of events that maximizes our ability to surmount social and threat-related challenges critical to survivorship and reproduction. Here, in contrast to the incorporation continuity hypothesis, we test the (1) social bias hypothesis, which states that dreams will overrepresent positive social interactions relative to waking life, (2) the mutually exclusive threat bias hypothesis, the idea that dream content will be negative relative to waking life, (3) the strengthening hypothesis, which states that dreams will rehearse more positive interactions with individuals the self is familiar with relative to waking life, and (4) the compensation hypothesis, which states that social contents in dreams increases during periods of social seclusion. Dream (n = 168) and wake (n = 184) reports were collected through a standardized online survey from 24 undergraduate students. Recalls were analyzed using the Social Content Scale. Generalized linear mixed effects models were used, and the following fixed-effects were considered for the study; the number of reports contributed, report state, biological sex, stress, social support, and media exposures. Results showed support for the threat bias hypothesis, we found that dreams were more negative and featured more unfamiliar individuals in contrast to waking life. Additionally, we found partial support for the social bias and the strengthening hypotheses, however no support was shown for the compensation hypothesis. Overall, these results demonstrate support for the threat simulation function of dreams.
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13
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Remedios A, Marin-Dragu S, Routledge F, Hamm S, Iyer RS, Orr M, Meier S, Schredl M. Nightmare frequency and nightmare distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Sleep Med 2023; 19:163-169. [PMID: 36073841 PMCID: PMC9806780 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.10290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES The current study investigated nightmare frequency and distress during the pandemic and associated factors. METHODS Participants (n = 1,718) completed a survey, 747 of which were youth. The MADRE dream questionnaire was used to collect self-reported data on nightmare frequency and distress. In addition, personality traits, current stressors, and COVID-related anxiety were also measured. An ordinal regression model was used for statistical analysis, and P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS The findings from this study suggest (1) COVID-related anxiety is associated with the frequency of nightmares and the severity of nightmare distress experienced by a person, and (2) findings support the continuity hypothesis, which suggests waking life experiences are related to nightmares and (3) increased COVID-related anxiety contributes independently to nightmare frequency. COVID-related anxiety appeared to be more prevalent within adults (P < .001, effect size = 0.18) compared to youth. Similar results were found for nightmare distress. CONCLUSIONS The risk of nightmares may have increased due to disruptions in mental health and sleep caused by the COVID-19 crisis. These findings may be important in clinician efforts to understand nightmares and the risk of problematic sleep during the pandemic. CITATION Remedios A, Marin-Dragu S, Routledge F, et al. Nightmare frequency and nightmare distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(1):163-169.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anellka Remedios
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Silvia Marin-Dragu
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Francis Routledge
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Sara Hamm
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Matt Orr
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Sandra Meier
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Michael Schredl
- Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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14
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Schredl M, Remedios A, Marin-Dragu S, Sheikh S, Forbes A, Iyer RS, Orr M, Meier S. Dream Recall Frequency, Lucid Dream Frequency, and Personality During the Covid-19 Pandemic. IMAGINATION, COGNITION AND PERSONALITY 2022; 42:113-133. [PMID: 38603268 PMCID: PMC9149660 DOI: 10.1177/02762366221104214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Dream recall frequency and lucid dream frequency showed large inter-individual differences that are partly related to personality dimensions. However, as dream research is a small field, independent studies are necessary to build a solid empirical foundation. The present online survey included 1,537 participants (1150 women, 387 men) with a mean age of 35.1 ± 15.8 years. Whereas the relationship between openness to experience and dream recall frequency was in line with previous research - supporting the life-style hypothesis of dream recall, the associations between the Big Five personality factors and lucid dream frequency are less homogenous; for example, the negative relationship between neuroticism and lucid dream frequency. Even though the effect sizes of these associations are small, the findings can help in identifying links between waking and dreaming. Moreover, it was found that lucid dream frequency was related to Covid-19-related worries, whereas dream recall frequency was not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schredl
- Dept Sleep laboratory, Central
Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anellka Remedios
- Department of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Silvia Marin-Dragu
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Sana Sheikh
- Department of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Alyssa Forbes
- Department of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Matt Orr
- Department of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Sandra Meier
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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15
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Scarpelli S, Zagaria A, Ratti PL, Albano A, Fazio V, Musetti A, Varallo G, Castelnuovo G, Plazzi G, Franceschini C. Subjective sleep alterations in healthy subjects worldwide during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. Sleep Med 2022; 100:89-102. [PMID: 36029756 PMCID: PMC9364714 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2022.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an update on sleep quality in different world areas and better characterize subjective sleep alterations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering gender distribution and specific pandemic-related parameters, we also intend to identify significant predictors of sleep problems. METHODS Six electronic databases were searched from December 2019 to November 2021 for studies investigating sleep during COVID-19 employing the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep, the Insomnia Severity Index or the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Random-effects models were implemented to estimate the pooled raw means of subjective sleep alterations. Also, we considered the role of several pandemic-related parameters (i.e., days from the first COVID-19 case, government stringency index, new cases for a million people, new deaths for a million people) by means of meta-regression analyses. RESULTS A total of 139 studies were selected. The pooled mean of the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score (PSQIgen) was 6.73 (95% CI, 6.61-6.85). The insomnia severity index score was reported from 50 studies with a pooled mean of 8.44 (95% CI, 7.53-9.26). Subgroup analyses confirmed that most subcategories had poor sleep quality and subclinical insomnia. Meta-regressions showed that PSQIgen was predicted by days from the first COVID-19 case and government restrictions with a negative slope and by female gender with a positive slope. The government stringency index was positively correlated with the direct subjective evaluation of sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS We found an overall impaired sleep and widespread subthreshold insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The female percentage seems to be the best predictor of impaired sleep quality, consistently to the available literature. Noteworthy, sleep alterations were inversely associated with governmental restrictions and decreased during the pandemic. Our results give a contribution to critically orienting further studies on sleep since COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Zagaria
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro-Luca Ratti
- Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Regional Hospital of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland and Al Centro del Sonno, Venice, Italy
| | - Antonio Albano
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Fazio
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giorgia Varallo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Christian Franceschini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy.
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Kumar N, Goyal A, Hussain A, Saini LK, Chawla O, Arora P, Daga R, Tikka SK, Goyal SK, Kanchan S, Desai S, Ahmed S, Das S, Dubey V, Gupta R. SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with increased odds of insomnia, RLS and dream enactment behavior. Indian J Psychiatry 2022; 64:354-363. [PMID: 36060721 PMCID: PMC9435609 DOI: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_586_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Literature suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in poor sleep quality, especially among the infected population. However, literature regarding the effect of COVID-19 pandemic and SARS-CoV-2 infection on occurrence of insomnia, restless legs syndrome and dream enactment behavior is either scarce or unavailable. METHODS This study was planned to assess the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the occurrence of insomnia, restless legs syndrome (RLS) and dream enactment behavior (DEB). For this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire comprising of items related to demographic details, past medical history, and information related to SARS-CoV-2 infection was distributed through social media. Insomnia was diagnosed using clinical criteria. RLS, DEB, sleep quality, depression and anxiety were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Information regarding the use of hypnotic medications was also gathered. RESULTS Of the 1596 respondents, 37.2% reported disturbed sleep while insomnia was reported by 22.6% respondents. 27.3% of respondents reported RLS and 17.4% suffered DEB. The odds of insomnia were greater among males (OR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.03-1.58; P < 0.02) and among those who had SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.42-2.19; P < 0.001). Similarly, SARS-CoV-2 infection was also associated with increased odds of RLS (OR = 2.48; 95% CI = 1.98-3.11; P < 0.001) and DEB (OR = 1.58; 95%CI = 1.21-2.06; P < 0.001). Insomnia, RLS and DEB were more frequent among respondents who required oxygen therapy, those who experienced loss of taste and/or smell, depression and anxiety. Prevalence of insomnia, DEB and RLS was higher than said prevalence among respondents with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but lower than that of those with positive history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. 5.3% of respondents reported taking hypnotic medications before infection, 7% during infection and 5.3% after infection. CONCLUSION SARS-CoV-2-infection-related factors in association with environmental factors have increased the prevalence of insomnia, DEB and RLS among subjects having infection. SARS-CoV-2-associated immunological changes, hypoxia and neurotropism may play a role in occurrence of insomnia, DEB and RLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niraj Kumar
- Department of Neurology and Division of Sleep Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Abhishek Goyal
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Arshad Hussain
- Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Lokesh Kumar Saini
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Division of Sleep Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Omna Chawla
- Department of Physiology, Seema Dental College and Hospital, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
| | | | - Ritu Daga
- Vivekananda Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Sai Krishna Tikka
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, Telangana, India
| | | | - Shweta Kanchan
- Harispandan Heart Care Centre, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Soaham Desai
- Department of Neurology, Shree Krishna Hospital and Pramukhswami Medical College, Bhaikaka University, Karamasad, Anand, Gujarat, India
| | - Sohaib Ahmed
- Department of Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sourav Das
- Consultant Psychiatrist, Somnos Sleep Clinic, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Vaibhav Dubey
- Department of Psychiatry, People's College of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Ravi Gupta
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Sleep Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
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17
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Dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104710. [PMID: 35643121 PMCID: PMC9132492 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
According to several influential models, dreams can be affected by state- and trait-like factors, sleep features, and diurnal experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic globally affected daily habits, emotional experiences, and sleep. Previous studies suggested an influence of collective traumatic events on dreaming. Starting from these premises, several studies assessed the effect of the pandemic on dreams. This paper aims to review findings concerning the oneiric activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. We report pandemic-related changes in dreams and nightmares, and we consider the possible factors associated with dreaming. Moreover, we provide results about changes in the oneiric activity in different phases of the pandemic. The reviewed findings suggest a pandemic-related enhancement of dream and nightmare frequency, emotional intensity, and distressing contents, modulated by modifications in restrictive measures and associated with diurnal experiences, emotional status, and sleep pattern. We highlight several methodological issues and a large heterogeneity in the present literature, limiting results’ generalizability. However, we provide possible interpretations of the most consistent findings in light of the main theoretical frameworks about dreaming.
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18
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Meaklim H, Burge M, Le F, Bains SK, Saunders W, Ghosh S, Junge MF, Varma P, Rehm IC, Jackson ML. Strange themes in pandemic dreams: Insomnia was associated with more negative, anxious and death-related dreams during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Sleep Res 2022; 32:e13655. [PMID: 35699296 PMCID: PMC9350044 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Dreaming and insomnia are important markers of distress in times of crisis. Here, we present a longitudinal, mixed-methods study examining changes in dreaming between individuals with and without insomnia symptoms and their relationship to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A global survey examining insomnia symptoms, dreams and mental health was launched in April 2020 and followed participants over 12 months. Of 2240 participants, 1009 (45%) reported dream changes at baseline. A higher proportion of participants with new-onset insomnia reported dream changes (55%) than those with pre-existing insomnia (45%) or good sleepers (36%). Overall, thematic analysis identified key dream change themes of increased dream activity, with participants dreaming vividly, in high-definition, and with a strong negative charge. Themes around survival, adjusting to pandemic life, meaning-making and poor sleep quality were also noted. Linguistic Inquiry Word Count showed that individuals with insomnia used more negative words to describe their dream changes than good sleepers. Specifically, the new-onset insomnia group used more anxious and death-related words than those who slept well. Notably, all groups experienced a significant reduction in dream activity by 3-month follow-up. Lastly, dream changes were associated with worse mental health symptoms over time, and this effect was more pronounced in individuals with insomnia. Our results highlight that insomnia symptoms, especially new-onset insomnia, are associated with more negative dream changes during collective stressful events, potentially compounding daytime distress and mental health symptoms over time. During times of crisis, dreaming and insomnia may reveal an important target for mental health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey Meaklim
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Malisa Burge
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Flora Le
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Sukjhit K. Bains
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - William Saunders
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Stephen Ghosh
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Moira F. Junge
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia,The Sleep Health FoundationBlacktownNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Prerna Varma
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Imogen C. Rehm
- College of Health and BiomedicineVictoria UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Melinda L. Jackson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
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19
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Proserpio P, Zambrelli E, Lanza A, Dominese A, Di Giacomo R, Quintas R, Tramacere I, Rubino A, Turner K, Colosio C, Cattaneo F, Canevini MP, D'Agostino A, Agostoni EC, Didato G. Sleep disorders and mental health in hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional multicenter study in Northern Italy. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:2241-2251. [PMID: 35022932 PMCID: PMC8754520 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05813-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers had to face unprecedented emergency needs associated with an extraordinary amount of psychological distress. In this cross-sectional multicenter study, we investigated sleep disturbances, and the level of anxiety and depression among the healthcare and non-healthcare staff of three hospitals in Milan (Italy) during the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, we explored potential predisposing factors for affective symptoms and poor sleep. METHODS Between June and July 2020, we administered an online questionnaire to evaluate the presence of sleep disorders (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), insomnia (Sleep Condition Indicator), anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory), and depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II). We used univariate and multivariate analysis to evaluate the association between the personal conditions and sleep and affective disorders. RESULTS The 964 participants reported high rates of sleep disorders (80.3%)-mainly insomnia (30.5%)-anxiety (69.7%), and depression (32.8%). The multivariate analysis showed a strong association of sleep disorders, especially insomnia, with female gender (p = 0.004), divorced marital status (p = 0.015), self-isolation (p = 0.037), and chronic diseases (p = 0.003). Anxiety was significantly associated with teleworking (p = 0.001), while depressive symptoms were associated with self-isolation (p = 0.028), modified work schedules (p = 0.03), and chronic diseases (p = 0.027). CONCLUSION In hospital workers, the high prevalence of sleep and psychiatric symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak appears to be determined mainly by modifications of personal or work habits. Teleworking was associated with increased anxiety. An accurate planning of hospital activities and a psychological support are needed to prevent and manage sleep and mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Proserpio
- Department of Neuroscience, Sleep Medicine Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore, 20162, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Zambrelli
- Epilepsy Centre, Sleep Medicine Centre, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit, ASST Santi Paolo E Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Lanza
- Department of Neuroscience, Sleep Medicine Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore, 20162, Milan, Italy
| | - Ambra Dominese
- Epilepsy Unit, Sleep Disorders Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Di Giacomo
- Epilepsy Unit, Sleep Disorders Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Rui Quintas
- Epilepsy Unit, Sleep Disorders Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Tramacere
- Department of Research and Clinical Development, Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Rubino
- Department of Neuroscience, Sleep Medicine Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore, 20162, Milan, Italy
| | - Katherine Turner
- Epilepsy Centre, Sleep Medicine Centre, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit, ASST Santi Paolo E Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Colosio
- Occupational Health Unit, ASST Santi Paolo E Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Cattaneo
- Department of Neuroscience, Sleep Medicine Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore, 20162, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Canevini
- Epilepsy Centre, Sleep Medicine Centre, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit, ASST Santi Paolo E Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi, Milan, Italy
| | - Armando D'Agostino
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi, Milan, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Addiction, ASST Santi Paolo E Carlo, Milan, Italy
| | - Elio Clemente Agostoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Sleep Medicine Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore, 20162, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Didato
- Epilepsy Unit, Sleep Disorders Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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20
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The Oneiric Activity during and after the COVID-19 Total Lockdown in Italy: A Longitudinal Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19073857. [PMID: 35409540 PMCID: PMC8997831 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19073857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic affected oneiric activity. However, only a few studies have assessed the longitudinal changes in dream phenomenology during different phases of the pandemic, often focused on a limited number of dream variables. The aim of the present study was to provide an exhaustive assessment of dream features during total lockdown (TL) and a post-lockdown (PL) period characterized by eased restrictive measures in Italy. We performed a longitudinal study using a web-based survey to collect demographic, COVID-19 related, clinical, sleep, and dream data at TL and PL. Our final sample included 108 participants. The high frequency of poor sleep quality, anxiety, and depressive symptoms observed during TL remained stable at PL, while sleep latency (t = −4.09; p < 0.001) and PTSD-related disruptive nocturnal behaviors (t = −5.68; p < 0.001) exhibited a reduction at PL. A PL decrease in time spent with digital media was observed (t = −2.77; p = 0.007). We found a strong PL reduction in dream frequency (t = −5.49; p < 0.001), emotional load (t = −2.71; p = 0.008), vividness (t = −4.90; p < 0.001), bizarreness (t = −4.05; p < 0.001), length (t = −4.67; p < 0.001), and lucid dream frequency (t = −2.40; p = 0.018). Fear was the most frequently reported emotion in dreams at TL (26.9%) and PL (22.2%). Only the frequency of specific lockdown-related dream contents exhibited a reduction at PL. These findings highlight that the end of the home confinement had a strong impact on the oneiric activity, in the direction of reduced dream frequency, intensity, and lockdown-related contents. The co-occurrence of such changes with a decline in nocturnal PTSD-related symptoms, sleep latency, and time with digital media suggests an influence of post-traumatic stress levels, lifestyle modifications, and sleep pattern on dream changes during different phases of the pandemic. The stable prevalence of fear in dreams and the large frequency of poor sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and anxiety are probably related to the persistence of many negative consequences of the pandemic. Overall, these results are consistent with the continuity hypothesis of dreams.
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21
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Salehinejad MA, Azarkolah A, Ghanavati E, Nitsche MA. Circadian disturbances, sleep difficulties and the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep Med 2022; 91:246-252. [PMID: 34334305 PMCID: PMC8277544 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed extraordinary and unpredictable changes on our lifestyle for an unknown duration. Consequently, core aspects of wellbeing including behavior, emotion, cognition, and social interactions are negatively affected. Sleep and circadian rhythms, with an extensive impact on physiology, behavior, emotion, and cognition are affected too. We provided an updated overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on circadian rhythms and sleep based on the results of published studies (n = 48) in three sections. First, we focus on circadian misalignment due to the pandemic in the general population (including shift workers, health staff, students) and COVID-19 patients and summarize the most critically contributing factors to circadian misalignment. Next, we address sleep difficulties and poor sleep quality during the pandemic, their contributing factors, rate and prevalence, and their effects on both the general population and COVID-19 patients. Finally, we summarize the currently applied/recommended interventions for aligning circadian rhythms and improving sleep quality in both, the general population, and COVID-19 patients during the pandemic situation. Briefly, circadian misalignment and sleep difficulties are common consequences of the pandemic in the general population (with elderly, students, children, health and night-work shifters as risk groups) and COVID-19 patients. Home confinement and its physiological, circadian, and psychological derivates are central to these difficulties. Symptoms severity, treatment progress, recovery duration, and even diagnosis of COVID-19 patients are considerably affected by circadian and sleep difficulties. Behavioral interventions for normalizing the factors that contribute to circadian and sleep difficulties are helpful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ali Salehinejad
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Anita Azarkolah
- Department of Psychiatry, Fatemi Hospital, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Elham Ghanavati
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michael A Nitsche
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Germany
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22
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Sleepless in Solitude-Insomnia Symptoms Severity and Psychopathological Symptoms among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19052551. [PMID: 35270244 PMCID: PMC8909406 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Since 25 March 2020, all schools, colleges, and universities in Poland have indefinitely closed and, where possible, have activated distance learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering that the undergraduate years are usually characterized by a high prevalence of emotional disorders and sleep problems, it can be expected that the current situation may have a remarkable impact on the student population. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of sleep problems among Polish university students as well as the relationship of insomnia symptoms severity with psychopathological symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and behavioral factors, such as substance use, changes in the amount of sleep, and the level of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1111 Polish university students via an online survey conducted between IV and VI 2020. The survey included demographic variables, the level of psychopathological symptoms (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-28), insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI), and symptoms of posttraumatic stress (Impact of Events Scale-Revised, IES-R). The results showed that over half of the studied group of students had some form of sleep disturbances during the period of data collection, with moderate-to-severe insomnia symptoms noted in 21.6%. At the same time, the majority of the sample declared they slept more during the pandemic. A significant positive correlation was observed between the severity of insomnia symptoms and PTSD symptoms, as well as GHQ scores, increased substance use, and decreased physical activity. An additional association between the presence of dreams related to the event and insomnia symptoms as well as GHQ scores has been found. The results suggest that sleep problems may be prevalent among university students during the pandemic. Moreover, although the symptoms of insomnia, as well as the severity of sleep disturbance, significantly correlated with all the investigated variables, the direction of those associations remains to be established.
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23
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Scarpelli S, Nadorff MR, Bjorvatn B, Chung F, Dauvilliers Y, Espie CA, Inoue Y, Matsui K, Merikanto I, Morin CM, Penzel T, Sieminski M, Fang H, Macêdo T, Mota-Rolim SA, Leger D, Plazzi G, Chan NY, Partinen M, Bolstad CJ, Holzinger B, De Gennaro L. Nightmares in People with COVID-19: Did Coronavirus Infect Our Dreams? Nat Sci Sleep 2022; 14:93-108. [PMID: 35115852 PMCID: PMC8800372 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s344299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A growing number of studies have demonstrated that the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected sleep and dream activity in healthy people. To date, no investigation has examined dream activity specifically in COVID-19 patients. METHODS As part of the International COVID-19 Sleep Study (ICOSS), we compared 544 COVID-19 participants with 544 matched-controls. A within-subjects comparison between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods computed separately for controls and COVID-19 participants were performed on dream recall and nightmare frequency (DRF; NF). Also, non-parametric comparisons between controls and COVID-19 participants were carried out. Further, we compared psychological measures between the groups collected during pandemic. Ordinal logistic regression to detect the best predictors of NF was performed. RESULTS We found that people reported greater dream activity during the pandemic. Comparisons between controls and COVID-19 participants revealed a) no difference between groups concerning DRF in the pre-pandemic period and during the pandemic; b) no difference between groups concerning nightmare frequency in the pre-pandemic period; and c) COVID-19 participants reported significantly higher NF than controls during pandemic (p = 0.003). Additionally, we showed that a) anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD) symptom scores were higher in COVID-19 participants than controls; and b) quality of life and health as well as wellbeing (WHO-5) scores were significantly higher in controls than COVID-19 participants. Finally, ordinal logistic regression indicates that DRF (p < 0.001), PTSD (p < 0.001), anxiety (p = 0.018), insomnia (p = 0.039), COVID-19 severity (p = 0.014), sleep duration (p = 0.003) and age (p = 0.001) predicted NF. DISCUSSION Our work shows strong associations between increased nightmares in those reporting having had COVID-19. This suggests that the more that people were affected by COVID-19, the greater the impact upon dream activity and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael R Nadorff
- Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen and Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep-Wake Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Colin A Espie
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Kentaro Matsui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health Solutions, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Charles M Morin
- École de Psychologie, Centre d’étude des troubles du sommeil, Centre de recherche CERVO/Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Thomas Penzel
- Sleep Medicine Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mariusz Sieminski
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Han Fang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tainá Macêdo
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Sérgio A Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Physiology and Behavior Department, and Onofre Lopes University Hospital - Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Damien Leger
- Université de Paris, APHP, Hôtel-Dieu, Centre du Sommeil et de la Vigilance, Paris, France
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Ngan Yin Chan
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Regions, People’s Republic of China
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare, and Department of Neurosciences, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University Vienna, Postgraduate Master Program Medical Sleep Coaching, ZK-Schlafcoaching, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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24
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Goncalves M, Henriques A, Costa A, Correia D, Severo M, Lucas R, Barros H, Santos AC, Ribeiro AI, Rocha A, Lopes C, Correia D, Ramos E, Gonçalves G, Barros H, Araújo J, Talih M, Tavares M, Severo M, Lunet N, Meireles P, Duarte R, Lucas R, Camacho R, Fraga S, Correia S, Silva S, Leão T. Insomnia and nightmare profiles during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: characterization and associated factors. Sleep Med 2022; 90:44-52. [PMID: 35093683 PMCID: PMC8744402 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Objective/background To describe and characterize insomnia symptoms and nightmare profiles in Portugal during the first six weeks of a national lockdown due to COVID-19. Patients/methods An open cohort study was conducted to collect information of the general population during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal. We analyzed data from 5011 participants (≥16 years) who answered a weekly questionnaire about their well-being. Two questions about the frequency of insomnia and nightmares about COVID-19 were consecutively applied during six weeks (March–May 2020). Latent class analysis was conducted and different insomnia and nightmare profiles were identified. Associations between individual characteristics and both profiles were estimated using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Five insomnia (No insomnia, Stable-mild, Decreasing-moderate, Stable-severe, Increasing-severe) and three nightmares profiles (Stable-mild, Stable-moderate, Stable-severe) were identified. Being female, younger, perceiving their income as insufficient and feelings of fear towards COVID-19 were associated with higher odds of insomnia (Women: OR = 6.98 95%CI: 4.18–11.64; ≥60 years: OR = 0.30 95%CI: 0.18–0.53; Insufficient income: adjusted OR (aOR) = 8.413 95%CI: 3.93–16.84; Often presenting fear of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 infection: aOR = 9.13 95%CI: 6.36–13.11), and nightmares (Women: OR = 2.60 95%CI: 1.74–3.86; ≥60 years: OR = 0.45 95%CI: 0.28–0.74; Insufficient income: aOR = 2.60 95%CI: 1.20–5.20; Often/almost always presenting fear of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 infection: aOR = 6.62 95%CI: 5.01–8.74). Having a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection was associated with worse patterns of nightmares about the pandemic. Conclusions Social and psychological individual factors are important characteristics to consider in the development of therapeutic strategies to support people with sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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25
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Šćepanović S, Aiello LM, Barrett D, Quercia D. Epidemic dreams: dreaming about health during the COVID-19 pandemic. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211080. [PMID: 35116145 PMCID: PMC8790359 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The continuity hypothesis of dreams suggests that the content of dreams is continuous with the dreamer's waking experiences. Given the unprecedented nature of the experiences during COVID-19, we studied the continuity hypothesis in the context of the pandemic. We implemented a deep-learning algorithm that can extract mentions of medical conditions from text and applied it to two datasets collected during the pandemic: 2888 dream reports (dreaming life experiences), and 57 milion tweets (waking life experiences) mentioning the pandemic. The health expressions common to both sets were typical COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. cough, fever and anxiety), suggesting that dreams reflected people's real-world experiences. The health expressions that distinguished the two sets reflected differences in thought processes: expressions in waking life reflected a linear and logical thought process and, as such, described realistic symptoms or related disorders (e.g. nasal pain, SARS, H1N1); those in dreaming life reflected a thought process closer to the visual and emotional spheres and, as such, described either conditions unrelated to the virus (e.g. maggots, deformities, snake bites), or conditions of surreal nature (e.g. teeth falling out, body crumbling into sand). Our results confirm that dream reports represent an understudied yet valuable source of people's health experiences in the real world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Deirdre Barrett
- Harvard Medical School, 352 Harvard Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Daniele Quercia
- Nokia Bell Labs, 21 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB30FA, UK
- CUSP, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
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26
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Holzinger B, Nierwetberg F, Chung F, Bolstad CJ, Bjorvatn B, Chan NY, Dauvilliers Y, Espie CA, Han F, Inoue Y, Leger D, Macêdo T, Matsui K, Merikanto I, Morin CM, Mota-Rolim SA, Partinen M, Plazzi G, Penzel T, Sieminski M, Wing YK, Scarpelli S, Nadorff MR, De Gennaro L. Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Traumatized Us Collectively? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Sleep Factors via Traumatization: A Multinational Survey. Nat Sci Sleep 2022; 14:1469-1483. [PMID: 36052103 PMCID: PMC9426865 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s368147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The COVID-19 pandemic affects mental health and sleep, resulting in frequent nightmares. Therefore, identifying factors associated with nightmare frequency is important, as it can indicate mental health issues. The study aimed to investigate increases in nightmare frequency comparing the pre-pandemic and pandemic period, and identify its risk factors. Further, the mediating role of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms between the pandemic and nightmares is explored. PATIENTS AND METHODS For this cross-sectional survey data were obtained via self-rating online survey (ICOSS: details in Partinen et al, 2021), which was open to anyone older than 18 years. The final volunteer sample consisted of 15,292 participants, divided according to their nightmare frequency (high: ≥1-2 nights/week; low: <1-2 nights/week). A total of 9100 participants were excluded if answers on variables of interest were missing or receiving rewards for participation. Chi-square tests identified changes of nightmare frequency. Predictors of high nightmare frequency were assessed using logistic regression and presented as Odds Ratios. Post-hoc mediation models were used to investigate the role of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). RESULTS The mean age was 41.63 (SD=16.55) with 64.05% females. High nightmare frequency increased significantly from 13.24% to 22.35% during the pandemic. Factors associated with it included self-reported PTSS (OR=2.11), other mental disorders and various sleep disorders or problems. Financial burden due to the pandemic, confinement, having had COVID-19, and work situation during the pandemic were associated with nightmare frequency, those relations were partly mediated through PTSS. CONCLUSION Our results display the pandemic influence on nightmare frequency, which in turn connects to multiple mental health and sleep factors. These relations were partly mediated through PTSS. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have caused traumatization of a substantial proportion of society. Health care workers should consider nightmares in their screening routines, as it might indicate PTSS and/or other mental and sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria.,Medical University Vienna, Postgraduate Master ULG Sleep Coaching, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen and Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ngan Yin Chan
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep-Wake Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Colin A Espie
- Sir Jules Thorn Sleep & Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fang Han
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Damien Leger
- Université de Paris, APHP, Hôtel-Dieu, Centre du Sommeil et de la Vigilance, Paris, France
| | - Tainá Macêdo
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Kentaro Matsui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Charles M Morin
- École de Psychologie, Centre d'étude des troubles du sommeil, Centre de recherche CERVO/Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Sérgio A Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Physiology and Behavior Department, and Onofre Lopes University Hospital - Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare, and Department of Neurosciences, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Thomas Penzel
- Sleep Medicine Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mariusz Sieminski
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Yun Kwok Wing
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael R Nadorff
- Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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27
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Solomonova E, Picard-Deland C, Rapoport IL, Pennestri MH, Saad M, Kendzerska T, Veissiere SPL, Godbout R, Edwards JD, Quilty L, Robillard R. Stuck in a lockdown: Dreams, bad dreams, nightmares, and their relationship to stress, depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259040. [PMID: 34818346 PMCID: PMC8612516 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An upsurge in dream and nightmare frequency has been noted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and research shows increases in levels of stress, depression and anxiety during this time. Growing evidence suggests that dream content has a bi-directional relationship with psychopathology, and that dreams react to new, personally significant and emotional experiences. The first lockdown experience was an acute event, characterized by a combination of several unprecedent factors (new pandemic, threat of disease, global uncertainty, the experience of social isolation and exposure to stressful information) that resulted in a large-scale disruption of life routines. This study aimed at investigating changes in dream, bad dream and nightmare recall; most prevalent dream themes; and the relationship between dreams, bad dreams, nightmares and symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety during the first COVID-19 lockdown (April-May 2020) through a national online survey. METHODS 968 participants completed an online survey. Dream themes were measured using the Typical Dreams Questionnaire; stress levels were measured by the Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale; symptoms of anxiety were assessed by Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale; and symptoms of depression were assessed using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. RESULTS 34% (328) of participants reported increased dream recall during the lockdown. The most common dream themes were centered around the topics of 1) inefficacy (e.g., trying again and again, arriving late), 2) human threat (e.g., being chased, attacked); 3) death; and 4) pandemic imagery (e.g., being separated from loved ones, being sick). Dream, bad dream and nightmare frequency was highest in individuals with moderate to severe stress levels. Frequency of bad dreams, nightmares, and dreams about the pandemic, inefficacy, and death were associated with higher levels of stress, as well as with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS Results support theories of dream formation, environmental susceptibility and stress reactivity. Dream content during the lockdown broadly reflected existential concerns and was associated with increased symptoms of mental health indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Solomonova
- Neurophilosophy Lab, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Culture, Mind and Brain research group, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Claudia Picard-Deland
- Dream and Nightmare Laboratory, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Marie-Hélène Pennestri
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Sleep Laboratory and Clinic, Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mysa Saad
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Tetyana Kendzerska
- Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Samuel Paul Louis Veissiere
- Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Culture, Mind and Brain research group, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Roger Godbout
- Sleep Laboratory and Clinic, Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jodi D. Edwards
- University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lena Quilty
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Rebecca Robillard
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Canada
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
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28
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Gorgoni M, Scarpelli S, Mangiaruga A, Alfonsi V, Bonsignore MR, Fanfulla F, Ferini-Strambi L, Nobili L, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L. Persistence of the Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Sleep: A Longitudinal Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11111520. [PMID: 34827519 PMCID: PMC8615786 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep have been widely documented, but longitudinal evaluations during different phases of the “COVID-19 era” are needed to disentangle the specific consequences of the r145estrictive measures on sleep variables. The aim of this study was to assess the immediate effect of the lockdown’s end on sleep and sleep-related dimensions in an Italian sample, also considering the stress and depressive symptoms. We used an online survey to longitudinally collect data on sociodemographic, environmental, clinical, sleep, and sleep-related variables in two time points: during and immediately after the lockdown. The final sample included 102 participants. The large prevalence of poor sleep quality, clinically relevant pre-sleep arousal, and depressive symptoms, as well as poor sleep quality and pre-sleep arousal score observed during the lockdown, remained stable after its end. On the other hand, the prevalence of moderate-to-severe event-related stress and intrusive symptom scores exhibited a drastic reduction after the end of home confinement. Both bedtime and rise time were anticipated after the lockdown, while sleep quality exhibited only a trend of post-lockdown sleep disturbance reduction. Our findings point to a reduced stress level (specific for the intrusive symptomatology) after the end of the lockdown and persistence of sleep problems, suggesting two non-mutually exclusive hypotheses: (a) the strict restrictive measures are not the main cause of sleep problems during the pandemic and (b) home confinement induces long-lasting effects on sleep observable after its end, and a longer period of time might be needed to observe an improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.G.); (S.S.); (V.A.)
| | - Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.G.); (S.S.); (V.A.)
| | - Anastasia Mangiaruga
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Valentina Alfonsi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.G.); (S.S.); (V.A.)
| | - Maria R. Bonsignore
- PROMISE Department, University of Palermo, and IRIB-CNR, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Francesco Fanfulla
- Sleep Medicine Unit, Clinical and Scientific Maugeri Institutes, Scientific Institute of Pavia, IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Luigi Ferini-Strambi
- Sleep Disorders Center, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20127 Milan, Italy;
| | - Lino Nobili
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy;
- Department of Medical and Surgical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy;
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.G.); (S.S.); (V.A.)
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-064-9917-508
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29
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Gorgoni M, Scarpelli S, Mangiaruga A, Alfonsi V, Bonsignore MR, Fanfulla F, Ferini-Strambi L, Nobili L, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L. Pre-sleep arousal and sleep quality during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. Sleep Med 2021; 88:46-57. [PMID: 34731828 PMCID: PMC8577578 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected daily habits and psychological wellbeing, and many studies point to large modifications in several sleep and sleep-related domains. Nevertheless, pre-sleep arousal during the pandemic has been substantially overlooked. Since hyperarousal represents one of the main factors for the development and the perpetuation of chronic insomnia disorder, the assessment of variables associated with high levels of pre-sleep arousal during the pandemic is clinically relevant. The study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of perceived sleep quality and pre-sleep arousal in an Italian sample during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods We used an online survey to collect self-reported sociodemographic, environmental, clinical, sleep, and sleep-related data. Our final sample included 761 participants. Results Beyond a high frequency of poor sleep quality, depressive and stress symptoms, our results show that almost half of the sample suffered from clinically relevant levels of at least one component (ie, cognitive, somatic) of pre-sleep arousal. Subjects with greater pre-sleep arousal exhibited poorer sleep quality. Also, sleep quality was strongly associated with somatic and cognitive pre-sleep arousal. Regarding the predictors of sleep and sleep-related measures, depressive and event-related stress symptoms were the main factors associated with both poor sleep quality and pre-sleep arousal components. Moreover, specific sociodemographic and environmental variables were uniquely related to sleep quality, cognitive or somatic pre-sleep arousal. Conclusions These findings suggest that the assessment of specific sleep-related factors (ie, pre-sleep arousal), together with more global measures of sleep quality, may be crucial to depict the complex impact of the pandemic on sleep, and to help prevent and counteract the spread of insomnia symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Anastasia Mangiaruga
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesco Fanfulla
- Sleep Medicine Unit, Clinical and Scientific Maugeri Institutes, Scientific Institute of Pavia IRCCS Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Lino Nobili
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
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30
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Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, Musetti A, Filosa M, Quattropani MC, Lenzo V, Vegni E, Borghi L, Margherita G, Freda MF, Saita E, Cattivelli R, Castelnuovo G, Manari T, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L, Franceschini C. Dreams and Nightmares during the First and Second Wave of the COVID-19 Infection: A Longitudinal Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11111375. [PMID: 34827374 PMCID: PMC8615577 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent literature shows that the Coronovirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has provoked significant changes in dreaming. The current study intends to provide an update about dream variable changes during the second wave of COVID-19. A total of 611 participants completed a web survey from December 2020 to January 2021. Statistical comparisons showed that subjects had lower dream-recall frequency, nightmare frequency, lucid-dream frequency, emotional intensity, and nightmare distress during the second than the first wave of the pandemic. Dreams had a higher negative tone during the second than first wave. We revealed significant differences concerning post-traumatic growth, sleep-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and sleep measures between groups obtained as a function of the changes in the oneiric frequency between the first and second waves. We also found significant correlations between qualitative/emotional dream features and COVID-19-related factors (job change, forced quarantine, having COVID-19 infected relatives/friends, or asking for mental health help). Overall, we found that the second wave affected fewer quantitative features of dream activity and there was less emotional intensity. Moreover, we confirmed the relationship between nightmares and the high risk of PTSD when subjects were grouped as a function of the increasing/decreasing frequency. Finally, our findings are partly coherent with the continuity hypothesis between oneiric and waking experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.A.); (M.G.); (L.D.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Valentina Alfonsi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.A.); (M.G.); (L.D.G.)
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.A.); (M.G.); (L.D.G.)
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy; (A.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Maria Filosa
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (M.F.); (C.F.)
| | - Maria C. Quattropani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy;
| | - Vittorio Lenzo
- Department of Social and Educational Sciences of the Mediterranean Area, “Dante Alighieri” University for Foreigners of Reggio Calabria, 89125 Reggio Calabria, Italy;
| | - Elena Vegni
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20146 Milan, Italy; (E.V.); (L.B.)
| | - Lidia Borghi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20146 Milan, Italy; (E.V.); (L.B.)
| | - Giorgia Margherita
- Department of Humanistic Studies, Federico II University, 80138 Naples, Italy; (G.M.); (M.F.F.)
| | - Maria Francesca Freda
- Department of Humanistic Studies, Federico II University, 80138 Naples, Italy; (G.M.); (M.F.F.)
| | - Emanuela Saita
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (R.C.); (G.C.)
| | - Roberto Cattivelli
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (R.C.); (G.C.)
- Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, 28824 Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (R.C.); (G.C.)
- Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, 28824 Verbania, Italy
| | - Tommaso Manari
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy; (A.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy;
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.A.); (M.G.); (L.D.G.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Christian Franceschini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (M.F.); (C.F.)
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31
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Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, Scarpelli S, Zivi P, Sdoia S, Mari E, Quaglieri A, Ferlazzo F, Giannini AM, De Gennaro L. Changes in sleep pattern and dream activity across and after the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: A longitudinal observational study. J Sleep Res 2021; 31:e13500. [PMID: 34595786 PMCID: PMC8646575 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A large body of evidence has documented the impact of the global COVID‐19 outbreak – and especially the lockdown period – on sleep quality and quantity. Here, we present the first Italian longitudinal study on sleep and COVID‐19 considering four different time points collected during lockdown (from 29 March 2020 to 3 May 2020) and a subsequent follow‐up period (October 2020). We used an online survey to collect socio‐demographic and COVID‐19 related information. Subjects were also asked to complete a sleep diary at each time point of the study. Our longitudinal sample included 147 participants. Statistical comparison across time intervals showed remarkable changes in sleep patterns during and after the lockdown. In particular, during lockdown we observed longer sleep latency, less ease of falling asleep, a higher total bedtime, and a lower dream frequency. The week‐by‐week evaluation described relatively stable patterns in the observed measures during the lockdown period, except for dream frequency, affected by a rapid increase in the early phase of lockdown. Our findings are in line with the current literature. Furthermore, the prospective longitudinal investigation comprising several time points offered the possibility of (a) observing the temporal dynamics and the different entities of such changes over time, and (b) reducing the typical memory bias for these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Zivi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Sdoia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Mari
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Ferlazzo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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32
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Fränkl E, Scarpelli S, Nadorff MR, Bjorvatn B, Bolstad CJ, Chan NY, Chung F, Dauvilliers Y, Espie CA, Inoue Y, Leger D, Macêdo T, Matsui K, Merikanto I, Morin CM, Mota-Rolim S, Partinen M, Penzel T, Plazzi G, Sieminski M, Wing YK, De Gennaro L, Holzinger B. How our Dreams Changed During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects and Correlates of Dream Recall Frequency - a Multinational Study on 19,355 Adults. Nat Sci Sleep 2021; 13:1573-1591. [PMID: 34588830 PMCID: PMC8473566 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s324142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many have reported odd dreams during the pandemic. Given that dreams are associated with mental health, understanding these changes could provide crucial information about wellbeing during the pandemic. This study explored associations between COVID-19 and dream recall frequency (DRF), and related social, health, and mental health factors. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional web survey of 19,355 individuals in 14 countries from May to July 2020. We collected data on COVID-19, mental health, sleep and DRF during the pandemic. We performed McNemar Tests to compare low (<3 nights per week) and high DRF (≥3 nights per week) before and during COVID-19 and to evaluate changes in sleep variables segmented by DRF. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare characteristics between low and high DRF. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between various independent variables and DRF. RESULTS Reports of high DRF during the pandemic were higher than before the pandemic (P<0.001). Female gender (aOR=1.25, 95% CI 1.10-1.41), nightmares (aOR=4.22, 95% CI 3.45-5.17), sleep talking (aOR= 2.36, 1.73-3.23), sleep maintenance problems (aOR=1.34, 95% CI 1.15-1.56), symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD; aOR=1.24, 95% CI 1.09-1.41) and repeated disturbing thoughts (posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms) were associated with high DRF. Age group 55-64 years (aOR=0.69, 95% CI 0.58-0.83) reported less high DRF than younger participants. Unadjusted OR showed associations between depression, anxiety, and DRF; however, in adjusted regression depression (aOR= 0.71, 0.59-0.86) and anxiety (aOR=0.79, 95% CI 0.66-0.94) were negatively associated with high DRF. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE DRF was higher than pre-pandemic levels across four continents. DRF was associated with gender and parasomnias like nightmares and RBD symptoms, sleep maintenance problems, PTSD symptoms and negatively associated with depression and anxiety. The results implicate that COVID-19 is reflected in our dreams as an expression of the emotional intensity of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirin Fränkl
- Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael R Nadorff
- Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, and Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Ngan Yin Chan
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep-Wake Disorders Center, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier INM, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Colin A Espie
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yuichi Inoue
- Department of Somnology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Somnology Center, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Damien Leger
- Université de Paris, VIFASOM (EA 7331 Vigilance Fatigue, Sommeil et Santé Publique), Paris, France
- APHP, Hotel-Dieu de Paris, Centre du Sommeil et de la Vigilance, Paris, France
| | - Tainá Macêdo
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Kentaro Matsui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry National Institute of Mental Health, Kodaira, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- Sleep Well Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health Solutions, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Orton Orthopaedics Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Charles M Morin
- École de Psychologie, Centre d’étude des troubles du sommeil, Centre de recherche CERVO/Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Sérgio Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Physiology and Behavior Department, and Onofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Neurosciences, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas Penzel
- Sleep Medicine Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Mariusz Sieminski
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Yun Kwok Wing
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University Vienna, ZK-Schlafcoaching, Vienna, Austria
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33
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Bertrand L, Schröder C, Bourgin P, Maruani J, Atoui Y, d'Ortho MP, Lejoyeux M, Geoffroy PA. Sleep and circadian rhythm characteristics in individuals from the general population during the French COVID-19 full lockdown. J Sleep Res 2021; 31:e13480. [PMID: 34490948 PMCID: PMC8646935 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The full 2‐month lockdown to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic in 2020 led to substantial disruption of daily life and routines. The present study aimed to comprehensively identify the lockdown’s effects on sleep, daily rhythms and emotions of the French population. A survey was published online during the last week of the 2‐month full lockdown and 1,627 individuals completed the online survey. The survey was self‐administered and included standardised questionnaires. Sleep schedules were delayed during lockdown in more than half of the participants. New severe delayed sleep phase affected 10% of participants with sleep schedules delayed by ≥3 hr during the lockdown compared to before. A significant decrease in exposure to morning (p < 0.001) and evening natural light (p < 0.001), a significant increase in screen exposure time (with a significant screen exposure >3 hr during the evening for 45% of the participants during lockdown versus 18% before lockdown, p < 0.001), an increase in substance use for one‐quarter of participants, a poorer sleep quality in 56% of participants, and less regular sleep schedules in 48% of participants were observed. We also found a poorer sleep quality in women than men during lockdown (p = 0.004). The French full lockdown had a severe impact on sleep quality, sleep–wake rhythms, and sleep behaviours. The implementation of public health strategies for the prevention and care of sleep–wake cycles during lockdown are therefore essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Bertrand
- Département de Psychiatrie et D'Addictologie, AP-HP, GHU Paris Nord, DMU Neurosciences, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Carmen Schröder
- CNRS UPR 3212, Institute for Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences, Strasbourg, France
| | - Patrice Bourgin
- CNRS UPR 3212, Institute for Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences, Strasbourg, France.,Sleep Disorders Center and CIRCSom (International Research Center for ChronoSomnology), Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julia Maruani
- Département de Psychiatrie et D'Addictologie, AP-HP, GHU Paris Nord, DMU Neurosciences, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France.,NeuroDiderot, Université de Paris, INSERM U1141, Paris, France
| | - Yasmine Atoui
- Département de Psychiatrie et D'Addictologie, AP-HP, GHU Paris Nord, DMU Neurosciences, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Pia d'Ortho
- NeuroDiderot, Université de Paris, INSERM U1141, Paris, France.,Explorations Fonctionnelles et Centre du Sommeil- Département de Physiologie Clinique, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, GHU Paris Nord, DMU DREAM, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France
| | - Michel Lejoyeux
- Département de Psychiatrie et D'Addictologie, AP-HP, GHU Paris Nord, DMU Neurosciences, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Paris, France.,GHU Paris - Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Pierre A Geoffroy
- Département de Psychiatrie et D'Addictologie, AP-HP, GHU Paris Nord, DMU Neurosciences, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France.,CNRS UPR 3212, Institute for Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences, Strasbourg, France.,GHU Paris - Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Paris, France.,NeuroDiderot, Université de Paris, INSERM U1141, Paris, France
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34
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Kennedy KER, Bastien CH, Ruby PM, Killgore WDS, Wills CCA, Grandner MA. Nightmare content during the COVID-19 pandemic: Influence of COVID-related stress and sleep disruption in the United States. J Sleep Res 2021; 31:e13439. [PMID: 34409676 PMCID: PMC8420119 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Nightmares are often associated with psychiatric disorders and acute stress. This study explores how the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the content of nightmares. A sample of N = 419 US adults completed online surveys about sleep and COVID-19 experiences. Participants were asked about the degree to which they agreed with statements linking greater general stress, worse overall sleep and more middle-of-the-night insomnia with the COVID-19 pandemic. They were also asked if, during the pandemic, they experienced nightmares related to various themes. Logistic regression analyses examined each nightmare content as outcome and increased stress, worse sleep and more middle-of-the-night insomnia as predictors, adjusted for age, sex and race/ethnicity. Those who reported greater general COVID-related stress were more likely to have nightmares about confinement, failure, helplessness, anxiety, war, separation, totalitarianism, sickness, death, COVID and an apocalypse. Those who reported worsened sleep were more likely to have nightmares about confinement, oppression, failure, helplessness, disaster, anxiety, evil forces, war, domestic abuse, separation, totalitarianism, sickness, death, COVID and an apocalypse. Those who reported worsened middle-of-the-night insomnia were more likely to have nightmares about confinement, oppression, failure, helplessness, disaster, anxiety, war, domestic abuse, separation, totalitarianism, sickness, death, COVID and an apocalypse. These results suggest that increased pandemic-related stress may induce negatively-toned dreams of specific themes. Future investigation might determine whether (and when) this symptom indicates an emotion regulation mechanism at play, or the failure of such a mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E R Kennedy
- Sleep and Health Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Perrine M Ruby
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Brain Dynamics and Cognition team, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - William D S Killgore
- SCAN Lab, Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Chloe C A Wills
- Sleep and Health Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Michael A Grandner
- Sleep and Health Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
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35
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Borghi L, Bonazza F, Lamiani G, Musetti A, Manari T, Filosa M, Quattropani MC, Lenzo V, Freda MF, Lemmo D, Saita E, Cattivelli R, Castelnuovo G, Vegni E, Franceschini C. Dreaming during lockdown: a quali-quantitative analysis of the Italian population dreams during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY (MILANO) 2021; 24:547. [PMID: 34568113 PMCID: PMC8451213 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2021.547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to explore the emotional experiences related to the lockdown during the first pandemic wave, analysing the dreams of the Italian population. Through an online survey spread throughout the country, participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), the Resilience Scale (RS) and were asked to narrate a dream they had during the lockdown. The dreams were qualitatively analysed through the thematic content analysis. Logistic regression analyses were then conducted to verify the relationship among the categories that emerged and between these categories and the DASS-21 and RS scores. In the dreams 8 categories were identified (Places, Characters, Relationships, Actions, Danger, Death, Processes, and Emotions) composed of specific sub-categories, which seem to compose a sort of narrative structure of the dream. Some sub-categories were found to be predictor of depression and resilience or with exposure to COVID-19. Dreams can be a valid tool both to understand the experiences of the population during the pandemic and to evaluate those at risk of developing distress in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Borghi
- Psicologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano
| | - Federica Bonazza
- Psicologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano
| | - Giulia Lamiani
- Psicologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Dipartimento di Discipline Umanistiche, Sociali e delle Imprese culturali, Università di Parma, Parma
| | - Tommaso Manari
- Dipartimento di Discipline Umanistiche, Sociali e delle Imprese culturali, Università di Parma, Parma
| | - Maria Filosa
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Parma, Parma
| | | | - Vittorio Lenzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Società e della Formazione d’Area Mediterranea, Università per Stranieri ‘Dante Alighieri’ di Reggio Calabria
| | | | - Daniela Lemmo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Università Federico II, Napoli
| | - Emanuela Saita
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica di Milano, Milano
| | - Roberto Cattivelli
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica di Milano, Milano
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Laboratorio di Ricerca Psicologica, Milano, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica di Milano, Milano
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Laboratorio di Ricerca Psicologica, Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Vegni
- Psicologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano
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Marogna C, Montanari E, Contiero S, Lleshi K. Dreaming during COVID-19: the effects of a world trauma. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY (MILANO) 2021; 24:541. [PMID: 34568109 PMCID: PMC8451215 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2021.541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a state of health emergency affecting the entire world population. Given the serious practical and psychological difficulties and complications that have been experienced during this period, many scholars have created hypothesis, as a consequence, an increased possibility of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the general population with significant implications for one's dream activity. Participants in the study were recruited via the instant messaging application 'WhatsApp' for a period of 14 days. The study consisted of three phases: the first phase provided information on the purpose of the research and how to carry it out; in the second phase, each participant, using the Bionian model of dream experience as a focus, was asked to write down dreams, emotions and free connections/associations related to the dream. At the end of the collection, the texts obtained were analysed by means of a qualitative analysis performed with the aid of the MAXQDA software. The study confirms the computational and exploratory analysis of the text carried out in the research of Pesonen et al. (2020), finding also in our sample the presence of the hypothesized clusters going to explain the manifestation of imagery related to COVID-19 also within the dream activity. To confirm this, the nightmare of participant number 6 of the study is reported. The following qualitative research has offered an insight into the traumatic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, showing how many unmetabolized 'daytime elements' have been reproposed in the dream scenario, recalling the symptomatology of PTSD through the presence of distressing content that affect the quality of sleep and the daily life of the individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Marogna
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education & Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padua, Italy
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Sommantico M, Iorio I, Lacatena M, Parrello S. Dreaming during the COVID-19 lockdown: a comparison of Italian adolescents and adults. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, PROCESS AND OUTCOME 2021; 24:536. [PMID: 34568105 PMCID: PMC8451218 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2021.536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Based on the continuity hypothesis of dreaming, we have studied the effects of lockdown measures on Italian adolescents’ and adults’ dreams during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A sample of 475 subjects (73.9% women; 48.4% adolescents; ages 12-70 years, M=25.10, SD=12.2) was recruited via the Internet between April 17, 2020 and May 18, 2020. Participants were asked to provide socio-demographic data, as well as to report their Most Recent Dream. Results indicated that adults’ dreams were the longest, as well as characterized by higher emotional intensity, predominantly negative emotions, and a higher presence of sensory impressions. Furthermore, results indicated that the participants, especially adolescents, who were most directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic reported the strongest effects on their dreams. Results also indicated that women recall dreams more often than men, in addition to reporting higher emotional intensity, predominantly negative emotions, and a higher presence of sensory impressions. Finally, results of the Thematic Analysis of Elementary Contexts showed that adults’ dreams seem to be centered, above all, on both pleasant memories linked to experiences that are now forbidden (i.e., traveling, meeting friends) as well as on nightmares, while adolescents’ dreams focused on relationships with others. Finally, both adults and adolescents reported dreams related to the experience of home confinement, which they described in terms of the negative emotions they experienced. In sum, the findings of this study indicate that the COVID-19 lockdown measures, understood as a contextual and traumatic event, significantly affect people’s oneiric lives, regardless of age.
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Giovanardi G, Spangler P. Introduction to the Special Section on Working on dreams, from psychotherapy to neuroscience. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY (MILANO) 2021; 24:578. [PMID: 34568115 PMCID: PMC8451211 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2021.578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Not available
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Giovanardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Patricia Spangler
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University, and The Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Dream Recall/Affect and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis. Clocks Sleep 2021; 3:403-408. [PMID: 34449575 PMCID: PMC8395463 DOI: 10.3390/clockssleep3030027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In this concise review, we present an overview of research on dream recall/affect and of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, discussing caveats regarding the action of hormones of the HPA axis (mainly cortisol and its free form, cortisol-binding globulin and glucocorticoid receptors). We present results of studies regarding dream recall/affect and the HPA axis under physiological (such as waking) or pathological conditions (such as in Cushing’s syndrome or stressful situations). Finally, we try to integrate the effect of the current COVID-19 situation with dream recall/affect vis-à-vis the HPA axis.
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Scarpelli S, Gorgoni M, Alfonsi V, Annarumma L, Di Natale V, Pezza E, De Gennaro L. The impact of the end of COVID confinement on pandemic dreams, as assessed by a weekly sleep diary: a longitudinal investigation in Italy. J Sleep Res 2021; 31:e13429. [PMID: 34288197 PMCID: PMC8420281 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus 2019 pandemic strongly affected our sleep and dream activity. Many cross‐sectional studies highlighted increased dream recall frequency, and revealed a great presence of pandemic‐related oneiric contents. Here, we present the first prospective study carried out on an Italian sample. One‐hundred subjects were requested to fill out a web‐survey including socio‐demographic information, and questionnaires collecting sleep and clinical measures during lockdown. A final sample of 90 subjects participated in the longitudinal protocol lasting 2 weeks: (a) the first week (April 28–May 4) of full lockdown; and (b) the second week (May 5–May 11) of easing of restrictions. Subjects were asked to record at home their dream experiences, and complete a sleep‐dream diary each morning. Statistical comparisons showed that participants had higher numbers of awakenings, lower ease of falling asleep, higher dream recall and lucid dream frequency during lockdown than post‐lockdown. Further, subjects reported more dreams, including “being in crowded places” during post‐lockdown than lockdown. The poorer sleep quality during lockdown is quite consistent with previous findings. The relationship between traumatic events and dream recall frequency confirmed the idea of pandemic as “collective trauma”. Also, we hypothesized that the greater presence of lucid dreams during confinement could reflect the attempt to cope with the waking pandemic‐experiences. Finally, the presence of crowded places into dream scenarios during the second week of our protocol appears consistent with the continuity‐hypothesis, as the possibility to access places frequented by other people could represent a relevant experience after a long period of confinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Emilio Pezza
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Conte F, Rescott ML, De Rosa O, Cellini N, Coppola A, Cerasuolo M, Malloggi S, Giganti F, Ficca G. Changes in dream features across the first and second waves of the Covid-19 pandemic. J Sleep Res 2021; 31:e13425. [PMID: 34159658 PMCID: PMC8420319 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Research during the Covid‐19 pandemic has highlighted its significant impact on dreaming. Here we address changes in dream features both during the first wave, when the Italian government imposed a total lockdown, and the second wave (autumn 2020), when a partial lockdown was effected. In April 2020 (total lockdown), 1,622 participants (Mage = 34.1 ± 13.6 years; 1171F) completed an online survey including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a set of questions on dream features and their possible changes relative to the month preceding the lockdown (pre‐total lockdown). In November 2020 (partial lockdown), 214 participants (Mage = 36.78 ± 14.2 years; 159F) from the previous sample completed the same survey. Approximately half of the subjects reported increased or decreased dream frequency (30.5% and 21.8%), length (27.1% and 15.8%) and vividness (31.5% and 17.1%) during total lockdown as well as during partial lockdown (frequency: 30.3% and 13.5%; length: 23.3% and 12.6%; vividness: 31.6% and 24.1%). Dream affect became significantly more negative in total lockdown relative to pre‐total lockdown and in partial lockdown relative to pre‐partial lockdown (both p < .001). Both in total lockdown and partial lockdown, increased negative dream emotionality significantly predicted changes in dream frequency, length and vividness, and was significantly predicted, in turn, by worsened sleep quality. Our data confirm that dream features are significantly affected by major life changes such as those imposed by a pandemic. The fact that between lockdowns negative dream affect returned almost to baseline level suggests that dream emotionality is closely related to lifestyle and wake‐time emotional changes. Also, our findings point to a modulating role of sleep quality on dream emotionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Conte
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania L. Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | | | - Oreste De Rosa
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania L. Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Nicola Cellini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,Human Inspired Technology Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessia Coppola
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania L. Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | | | - Serena Malloggi
- Department NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Gianluca Ficca
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania L. Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
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Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, D'Anselmo A, Gorgoni M, Musetti A, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L, Franceschini C. Dream Activity in Narcoleptic Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy. Front Psychol 2021; 12:681569. [PMID: 34122276 PMCID: PMC8187856 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.681569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Some studies highlighted that patients with narcolepsy type-1 (NT1) experience high lucid dream frequency, and this phenomenon has been associated with a creative personality. Starting from the well-known “pandemic effect” on sleep and dreaming, we presented a picture of dream activity in pharmacologically treated NT1 patients during the Italian lockdown. Forty-three NT1 patients completed a web-survey during Spring 2021 and were compared with 86 matched-controls. Statistical comparisons revealed that: (a) NT1 patients showed greater sleepiness than controls; (b) controls showed higher sleep disturbances than NT1 patients, and this result disappeared when the medication effect in NT1 was controlled; (c) NT1 patients reported higher lucid dream frequency than controls. Focusing on dreaming in NT1 patients, we found that (a) nightmare frequency was correlated with female gender, longer sleep duration, higher intrasleep wakefulness; (b) dream recall, nightmare and lucid dream frequency were positively correlated with sleepiness. Comparisons between low and high NT1 lucid dreamers showed that patients more frequently experiencing lucid dreams reported a greater influence of dreaming during wakefulness, especially concerning problem-solving and creativity. Overall, our results are consistent with previous studies on pandemic dreaming carried out on healthy subjects. Moreover, we confirmed a link between lucidity and creativity in NT1 patients. Considering the small sample size and the cross-sectional design, our findings cannot provide a causal relationship between lucid dreams and the COVID-19 lockdown. Nevertheless, they represent a first contribution to address future studies on this issue, suggesting that some stable characteristics could interact with changes provoked by the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Anita D'Anselmo
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Torrente FM, López PL, Comandé D, Ailan D, Fernandez Nievas SE, Robertson L, Ciapponi A. Remote non-pharmacologic interventions for sleep problems in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hippokratia 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd015132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Manuel Torrente
- Laboratory of Psychopathology Research, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT); CONICET, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Pablo Luis López
- Laboratory of Psychopathology Research, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT); CONICET, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Daniel Comandé
- Argentine Cochrane Centre; Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS-CONICET); Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Delfina Ailan
- Psychiatry and Cognitive Psychotherapy; Institute of Cognitive Neurology (INECO); Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Simon E Fernandez Nievas
- Quality and Patient Safety; Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Lindsay Robertson
- Cochrane Common Mental Disorders; University of York; York UK
- Centre for Reviews and Dissemination; University of York; York UK
| | - Agustín Ciapponi
- Argentine Cochrane Centre; Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS-CONICET); Buenos Aires Argentina
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López PL, Torrente FM, Comandé D, Ailan D, Fernandez Nievas SE, Robertson L, Ciapponi A. Remote non-pharmacologic interventions for sleep problems in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hippokratia 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd015051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Luis López
- Laboratory of Psychopathology Research, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT); CONICET, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Fernando Manuel Torrente
- Laboratory of Psychopathology Research, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT); CONICET, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Daniel Comandé
- Argentine Cochrane Centre; Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS-CONICET); Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Delfina Ailan
- Psychiatry and Cognitive Psychotherapy; Institute of Cognitive Neurology (INECO); Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Simon E Fernandez Nievas
- Quality and Patient Safety; Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Lindsay Robertson
- Cochrane Common Mental Disorders; University of York; York UK
- Centre for Reviews and Dissemination; University of York; York UK
| | - Agustín Ciapponi
- Argentine Cochrane Centre; Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS-CONICET); Buenos Aires Argentina
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45
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Tsang S, Avery AR, Seto EYW, Duncan GE. Is COVID-19 Keeping us Up at Night? Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep Among Adult Twins. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:665777. [PMID: 33981199 PMCID: PMC8107288 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.665777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of social distancing measures to mitigate the virus outbreak have been implemented. These measures may have unintended consequences on individuals' well-being, such as increased stress, anxiety, and sleep disruptions. We investigated the extent to which individuals' mental health status is associated with perceived changes in sleep amount and sleep quality among a sample of adult twin pairs (N = 909 pairs; 77% MZ, 23% DZ), less than a month after the outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. About half of participants reported no change in sleep amount (50.1%) or sleep quality (55.6%). Approximately one-third of the participants had increased amount of sleep (29.8%), and 32.9% reported a decrease in sleep quality. We found that stress and anxiety levels were associated with sleep reduction (ORs = 2.36 and 3.12 for stress and anxiety, respectively) and poorer sleep quality (ORs = 2.45 and 3.73 for stress and anxiety, respectively), even after taking into account between-family confounds. A much smaller association was observed between levels of stress and anxiety and increased sleep amount (ORs = 1.42 and 1.60 for stress and anxiety, respectively) and sleep quality (OR = 1.21 and 1.29 for stress and anxiety, respectively), which was no longer significant after controlling for between-family confounds. Our results demonstrate that stress and anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures may be linked to reduced sleep amount and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siny Tsang
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Ally R. Avery
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Edmund Y. W. Seto
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Glen E. Duncan
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane, Spokane, WA, United States
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Guerrero-Gomez A, Nöthen-Garunja I, Schredl M, Homberg A, Vulcan M, Brusić A, Bonizzi C, Iannaco C. Dreaming in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Health Crisis: Survey Among a Sample of European School Students. Front Psychol 2021; 12:652627. [PMID: 33959080 PMCID: PMC8093446 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.652627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the continuity hypothesis of dreaming and contemporary psychodynamic approaches, dreams reflect waking life. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and dreaming in adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Italy, Romania and Croatia involving 2,105 secondary school students (69% girls, mean age 15.6 ± 2.1 years; 31% boys, mean age 15.1 ± 2.2 years; mean age of whole sample 15.4 ± 2.1 years). No substantial differences between countries were found. Thirty-one percent of the participants reported heightened dream recall, 18% noticed an increase in nightmares during the lockdown, and 15% of the provided dreams (n = 498) included pandemic-related content. The results indicate that subjective emotional reactions to lockdown had a significantly higher correlation to dreaming than objective distress (i.e., illness or death of a close one because of COVID-19). These findings suggest that attention to dreams should be included in preventive programs for adolescents with pandemic-related stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael Schredl
- Sleep Laboratory, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Maria Vulcan
- Timișoara 2021 – European Capital of Culture Association, Timișoara, Romania
| | - Asja Brusić
- Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture, Croatian Cultural Centre, Rijeka, Croatia
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