Pre-existing sleep problems as a predictor of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

Several months after COVID-19 many individuals still report persisting symptoms, the so-called 'post-COVID-19 syndrome'. An immunological dysfunction is one of the main pathophysiological hypotheses. As sleep is central to the functioning of the immune system, we investigated whether self-reported pre-existing sleep disturbance might be an independent risk factor for the development of post-COVID-19 syndrome. A total of 11,710 participants of a cross-sectional survey (all tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2) were classified into probable post-COVID-19 syndrome, an intermediate group, and unaffected participants at an average of 8.5 months after infection. The case definition was based on newly occurring symptoms of at least moderate severity and ≥20% reduction in health status and/or working capacity. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were calculated to investigate the association between pre-existing sleep disturbances and subsequent development of post-COVID-19 syndrome while controlling for a variety of demographic, lifestyle, and health factors. Pre-existing sleep disturbances were found to be an independent predictor of subsequent probable post-COVID-19 syndrome (adjusted odds ratio 2.7, 95% confidence interval 2.27-3.24). Sleep disturbances as part of the post-COVID-19 syndrome were reported by more than half of the participants and appeared to be a new symptom and to occur independent of a mood disorder in most cases. Recognition of disturbed sleep as an important risk factor for post-COVID-19 syndrome should promote improved clinical management of sleep disorders in the context of COVID-19. Further, it may stimulate further research on the effect of improving sleep on the prognosis of COVID-19 long-term sequelae and other post-viral conditions.

Nightmare frequency and nightmare distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The current study investigated nightmare frequency and distress during the pandemic and associated factors. METHODS: 1718 participants 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 < 0.05 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.

Dream Recall Frequency, Lucid Dream Frequency, and Personality During the Covid-19 Pandemic

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.

Dreaming in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Health Crisis: Survey Among a Sample of European School Students.

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.

Dreaming and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey in a US Sample

This study analyzes the responses of 3,031 U.S. adults who, in early May of 2020, completed an online survey regarding their dreams and the COVID-19 outbreak. The results indicate that those people most strongly affected by the pandemic also reported the strongest effects on their dream life (heightened dream recall, more negatively toned dreams, and pandemic-related dreams). Pronounced negative effects of the pandemic on dreaming were also found to be more likely among women and people with higher levels of education. These findings support the notion that changes in the frequency, tone, and contents of dreaming can help identify specific people who may be most at risk for mental health problems during the COVID-19 outbreak.