Poor sleep quality significantly correlates with stronger beliefs in paranormal phenomena. In a survey of 8,853 participants, those experiencing insomnia, longer sleep latency, and shorter sleep duration were more likely to believe in concepts like ghosts (62%), the soul living on after death (58%), and alien encounters (45%). Additionally, episodes of exploding head syndrome and isolated sleep paralysis were linked to beliefs in aliens visiting Earth. These findings highlight the complex relationship between sleep disturbances and anomalistic experiences, suggesting avenues for enhanced psychoeducation on sleep health.
Sleep disturbances such as sleep paralysis, lucid dreams, nightmares, and hypnagogic hallucinations are positively associated with reports of paranormal experiences and beliefs, including those involving ghosts, spirits, and near-death experiences. A scoping review of 44 cross-sectional studies found consistent links between these sleep variables and ostensibly paranormal phenomena. The findings suggest that nighttime experiences many people interpret as supernatural may stem from common sleep disruptions. This has clinical implications, such as reducing misdiagnosis and guiding treatment for sleep-related experiences.