Dream habits in a large cohort of preteens and their relation to sleep and nocturnal awakenings.

Among 1,151 preteens aged about 11, nearly half recalled dreams several times a week or almost every morning. About 52% had nightmares less than once a month or never, and 45% had lucid dreams at the same low frequency. No gender differences appeared in dream habits. Nocturnal awakenings were linked to all dream variables (recall, nightmares, lucid dreams, emotional intensity). Shorter sleep duration and lower sleep efficiency were associated with more frequent nightmares and stronger dream emotions, but not with dream recall or lucid dream frequency; Bayesian analyses supported these null findings.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The present study examined dream habits, and their relation to sleep patterns, in 1151 preteens (597 boys; 554 girls; 11.31 ± 0.62 years old). Dream questionnaires assessed the frequency of dream recall, nightmare, and lucid dream, as well as the intensity of emotions experienced in dreams. Sleep variables included sleep duration and efficiency, but also different measurements of nocturnal awakenings. Among the preteens, 49.21% of them reported that they recalled dreams several times a week or almost every morning over the past few months. In addition, 52.00% of the preteens reported that they experienced nightmares, and 45.48% lucid dreams, less than once a month or never over the past few months. No gender differences were observed in dream variables. Nocturnal awakenings were linked to all dream variables, while sleep duration and sleep efficiency were related to nightmare frequency and emotions in dreams. Importantly, sleep duration and sleep efficiency were not associated with dream recall nor lucid dream frequency, with Bayesian analyses supporting the null hypothesis. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of preteens' dreams and their connection to key sleep aspects.