Changes in dream features across the first and second waves of the Covid‐19 pandemic

Abstract

Summary 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 (M age = 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 (M age = 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.

Dreams and Nightmares during the First and Second Wave of the COVID-19 Infection: A Longitudinal Study

“…Additionally, stable characteristics, i.e., age and gender modulated the oneiric frequency. Indeed, during lockdown women showed greater self-reported dream frequency [12,13,15], and older adults reported lower dream rates [12,15,17]. In addition, nightmares increased during the Italian lockdown [12].…”

“…They revealed that significantly fewer participants reported dream changes (frequency, length, and vividness) during the second wave of pandemic, compared with the first. In this view, the authors suggested that people perceived fewer changes in their dreams since their life and daily routine were less impacted by the second, partial, lockdown [17]. Moreover, increased emotional charge was found both during the first and second wave, while subjects reported that dream emotionality returned almost to baseline between the first and second lockdown [17].…”

“…Results from different countries revealed higher dream-recall frequency during the pandemic (e.g., [16]). Moreover, subjects reported that dream content was pandemic-related [7][8][9]17]. In particular, studies on Italian samples revealed that poor sleep quality was associated with the high dream-recall frequency [12,15].…”

“…Further, people reported greater dreaming, including crowded places when they could go out again after the prolonged confinement. To the best of our knowledge, just the study by Conte and colleagues [17] examined the changes in dreaming both during the lockdown and the second wave. They revealed that significantly fewer participants reported dream changes (frequency, length, and vividness) during the second wave of pandemic, compared with the first.…”

The Effects of the COVID19-Related Lockdown Are Modulated by Age: An Italian Study in Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

“…Unsurprisingly, in fact, surveys including retrospective questions on the pre-pandemic period have been repeatedly employed in sleep studies conducted during the pandemic (e.g. [7,8,55,56]).…”