Cargando…

Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic

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...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Scarpelli, Serena, Alfonsi, Valentina, Camaioni, Milena, Gorgoni, Maurizio, Albano, Antonio, Musetti, Alessandro, Quattropani, Maria Catena, Plazzi, Giuseppe, De Gennaro, Luigi, Franceschini, Christian
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Dove 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10259600/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37313311
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S410732
_version_ 1785057696727171072
author Scarpelli, Serena
Alfonsi, Valentina
Camaioni, Milena
Gorgoni, Maurizio
Albano, Antonio
Musetti, Alessandro
Quattropani, Maria Catena
Plazzi, Giuseppe
De Gennaro, Luigi
Franceschini, Christian
author_facet Scarpelli, Serena
Alfonsi, Valentina
Camaioni, Milena
Gorgoni, Maurizio
Albano, Antonio
Musetti, Alessandro
Quattropani, Maria Catena
Plazzi, Giuseppe
De Gennaro, Luigi
Franceschini, Christian
author_sort Scarpelli, Serena
collection PubMed
description 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.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-10259600
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2023
publisher Dove
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-102596002023-06-13 Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic Scarpelli, Serena Alfonsi, Valentina Camaioni, Milena Gorgoni, Maurizio Albano, Antonio Musetti, Alessandro Quattropani, Maria Catena Plazzi, Giuseppe De Gennaro, Luigi Franceschini, Christian Nat Sci Sleep Original Research 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. Dove 2023-06-08 /pmc/articles/PMC10259600/ /pubmed/37313311 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S410732 Text en © 2023 Scarpelli et al. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) ). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).
spellingShingle Original Research
Scarpelli, Serena
Alfonsi, Valentina
Camaioni, Milena
Gorgoni, Maurizio
Albano, Antonio
Musetti, Alessandro
Quattropani, Maria Catena
Plazzi, Giuseppe
De Gennaro, Luigi
Franceschini, Christian
Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic
title Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic
title_full Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic
title_fullStr Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic
title_full_unstemmed Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic
title_short Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic
title_sort longitudinal findings on the oneiric activity changes across the pandemic
topic Original Research
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10259600/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37313311
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S410732
work_keys_str_mv AT scarpelliserena longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT alfonsivalentina longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT camaionimilena longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT gorgonimaurizio longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT albanoantonio longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT musettialessandro longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT quattropanimariacatena longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT plazzigiuseppe longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT degennaroluigi longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic
AT franceschinichristian longitudinalfindingsontheoneiricactivitychangesacrossthepandemic