An analysis of 253 nightmares and 431 bad dreams conducted by Canadian psychology researchers shows that nightmares have greater emotional impact than bad dreams do, and fear is not always a factor.

Nightmares in men were more likely than those of women to contain themes of disasters and calamities, while themes involving interpersonal conflicts were twice as frequent in the nightmares of women. Image credit: Sweet Briar College.

Dr Geneviève Robert and Dr Antonio Zadra, scientists at the University of Montreal and authors of the paper published in the journal Sleep, asked 572 participants to record all of their remembered dreams in a log for 2 to 5 consecutive weeks.

About 10,000 dream reports were collected and the content of 253 nightmares and 431 bad dreams reported by 331 participants was investigated.

“Physical aggression is the most frequently reported theme in nightmares. Moreover, nightmares become so intense they will wake you up. Bad dreams, on the other hand, are especially haunted by interpersonal conflicts,” Dr Robert and Dr Zadra said.

“Death, health concerns and threats are common themes in nightmares. But it would be wrong to think that they characterize all nightmares. Sometimes, it is the feeling of a threat or a ominous atmosphere that causes the person to awaken. I’m thinking of one narrative, in which the person saw an owl on a branch and was absolutely terrified,” Dr Robert added.

Nightmares in men were also more likely than those of women to contain themes of disasters and calamities such as floods, earthquakes and war while themes involving interpersonal conflicts were twice as frequent in the nightmares of women.

Why do we dream? What are nightmares? These questions are still unanswered.

One hypothesis is that dreams are a catharsis to the vicissitudes of daily life; another is that they reflect a disruption of the nervous system.

Whatever they are, scientists agree that everyone dreams, usually during the stage of sleep called REM sleep, which most people go through three to five times a night. Most sleepers forget their dreams right away; heavy dreamers remember them more easily. About 5-6 per cent of the population report having nightmares.

“Nightmares are not a disease in themselves but can be a problem for the individual who anticipates them or who is greatly distressed by their nightmares. People who have frequent nightmares may fear falling asleep – and being plunged into their worst dreams. Some nightmares are repeated every night. People who are awakened by their nightmares cannot get back to sleep, which creates artificial insomnia,” Dr Zadra said.

The source of a recurring nightmare may be a traumatic event. Returning soldiers sometimes, in their dreams, see the scenes that marked them. Consumption or withdrawal of alcohol or psychotropic drugs may also explain the frequency or intensity of nightmares.

The good news is that nightmares are treatable. Through visualization techniques, patients learn to change the scenario of one or more of their dreams and repeat the new scenario using a mental imagery technique. It can be through a life-saving act or a supernatural intervention. All in mid-dream!

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Geneviève Robert, Antonio Zadra. 2014. Thematic and Content Analysis of Idiopathic Nightmares and Bad Dreams. Sleep, vol. 37, no. 02; doi: 10.5665/sleep.3426