Nightmares, those restless dreams, almost real (or at least they seem so to us) that can provoke negative emotions such as shame, anxiety or terror seem to have a double ally that reinforces them. According to the results of a new study by researchers at the University of Turku and the National Institute for Health and Welfare (Finland), key symptoms of depression and insomnia are the most reliable predictors of frequent nightmares while we sleep. The study has been published in the journal Sleep .
For their experiment, the scientists analyzed data from two independent studies conducted between 2007 and 2012 with a total of 13,922 participants aged between 25 and 74 years and in whom the lifestyle or frequency of nightmares were two main axes of the questionnaires presented to the volunteers.
3.9% of the participants reported having nightmares often ; 45% had them occasionally and 50.6% had never had nightmares. Comparing these data with the depression and insomnia scales, they discovered that 28.4% of the volunteers who had severe symptoms of depression were part of the group that regularly had nightmares . The same happened with the participants with frequent insomnia, representing 17.1% of them.
“Our study shows a clear relationship between well-being and nightmares. This is most evident in the connection between nightmares and depression , but it is also evident in many other analyzes related to nightmares and questions that measure health and life satisfaction ”, clarifies Nils Sandman, leader of the study.
“It could be possible that nightmares could function as early indicators of the onset of depression and therefore have untapped diagnostic value. Also, because nightmares, insomnia and depression often appear together, would it be possible to treat all these problems with an intervention directed exclusively towards nightmares? Sandman wonders.
