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Dreaming in patients with sleep disorders

A multicenter study

Träumen bei Patienten mit Schlafstörungen

Eine Multizenterstudie

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Abstract

Dreaming is defined as a subjective experience, while sleeping is obviously closely related to sleep physiology. The present multicenter study (n = 4,001 patients) was designed to test whether differences in sleep physiology and daytime functioning, present in patients with sleep disorders, affect the dreaming process. Overall, patients with sleep disorders reported higher dream recall, more nightmares, and more negatively toned dreams. Whereas the differences in dream recall are most likely associated with altered sleep physiology (more frequent nocturnal awakenings and/or micro-arousals), the findings regarding nightmare frequency and dream emotions might reflect the distress associated with the sleep disorder. Desirable would be longitudinal studies; it would be expected that successful treatment should alter nightmare frequency and dream emotions in patients with insomnia, restless legs syndrome/periodic limb movement disorders, and other sleep disorders. Whether dream content reflects disorder-specific content in addition to general distress remains unanswered.

Zusammenfassung

Träumen, definiert als subjektives Erleben während des Schlafs, steht natürlich in engem Zusammenhang mit der Schlafphysiologie. Die vorgestellte multizentrische Studie (n = 4001) wurde durchgeführt, um zu testen, ob Unterschiede in der Schlafphysiologie und im Tageserleben bei Patienten mit Schlafstörungen auch zu Unterschieden beim Träumen führen. Insgesamt gaben Patienten mit Schlafstörungen eine höhere Traumerinnerung, mehr Albträume und mehr negativ getönte Träume an. Während die Unterschiede in der Traumerinnerung wahrscheinlich auf die veränderte Schlafphysiologie (vermehrtes nächtliches Erwachen und vermehrte Mikro-Arousals) zurückzuführen sind, spiegeln die Befunde bzgl. der Albtraumhäufigkeit und den Traumgefühlen möglicherweise die Belastung des Alltags dieser Patienten durch das Vorliegen der Schlafstörung wider. Längsschnittstudien wären in diesem Bereich wünschenswert; so wäre zu erwarten, dass sich die Albtraumhäufigkeit und die Traumemotionen bei Patienten mit Insomnie, Restless-Legs-Syndrom/periodischen Beinbewegungen im Schlaf im Verlauf einer erfolgreichen Therapie verändern. Ob sich im Trauminhalt zusätzlich zu der allgemeinen Beeinträchtigung schlafstörungsspezifische Inhalte widerspiegeln, ist bisher eine noch unbeantwortete Frage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep Laboratory, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim/Universität Heidelberg, 68072, Mannheim, Germany

    M. Schredl

  2. Schlafzentrum, Pfalzklinikum, Klingenmünster, Germany

    R. Binder

  3. Schlafmedizinisches Labor, Fachkrankenhaus Uchtspringe SALLUS gGmbH, Hansestadt Stendal, Germany

    S. Feldmann

  4. Schlaflabor, Zentrum für Integrative Psychiatrie ZIP gGmbH, Kiel, Germany

    R. Göder

  5. Abt. Neurologie, Asklepios Klinik Wandsbek, Wandsbek bei Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    J. Hoppe

  6. Abteilung für Schlafmedizin, Theresienkrankenhaus und St. Hedwig-Klinik GmbH, Mannheim, Germany

    J. Schmitt

  7. Schlaflabor, Klinik Angermühle, Deggendorf, Germany

    M. Schweitzer

  8. Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Schlafmedizin und Heimbeatmung, Hofheim, Germany

    M. Specht

  9. Neurophysiologisches Schlaflabor, Klinikum Bremen-Ost gGmbH, Bremen, Germany

    J. Steinig

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  1. M. Schredl
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  2. R. Binder
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AG Traum der DGSM:

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Correspondence to M. Schredl.

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AG Traum der DGSM:., Schredl, M., Binder, R. et al. Dreaming in patients with sleep disorders. Somnologie 16, 32–42 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-012-0552-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-012-0552-2

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