A recent examination conducted by researchers affiliated with the American Psychological Association explored how certain personality traits relate to nightmare frequency. The study found a clear link between openness to experience and the frequency of nightmares, while higher levels of neuroticism were associated with more frequent troubling dreams. The publication presenting these findings appeared in a respected psychology magazine focused on dream research and mental health.
A nightmare is a vivid, disturbing dream that often leads to waking with strong feelings of fear or unease. Nightmares most commonly occur during rapid eye movement sleep, a sleep stage characterized by heightened brain activity, increased blood flow, faster heartbeat, and rapid eye movements. These physiological changes mark REM sleep, a phase during which the brain is almost as active as when awake. This association provides a physiological context for why dreams during REM can become emotionally charged and memorable.
In their methodology, the researchers recruited 225 online participants who agreed to report how frequently they experienced distressing dreams. Each person also completed a set of instruments designed to measure different personality traits and coping strategies. The coping assessment used in this study was a scale developed specifically by the researchers to gauge how individuals manage stress in daily life. The combination of dream reports, personality profiling, and coping styles offered a comprehensive view of the factors shaping nightmare experiences.
The results indicated that individuals with higher neuroticism tended to report more nightmares. Neuroticism refers to a tendency to experience negative emotions more intensely and to be more upset by stress and adverse events. Those who scored higher on openness to experience, indicating curiosity, creativity, and a preference for novelty, reported more nightmares as well, though they generally were not distressed by these dreams. This distinction suggests that for some people, curious and imaginative minds may be more likely to encounter frightening dreams, but not necessarily to worry about them afterward.
An additional analysis uncovered that participants who leaned toward traits of extroversion and those who described themselves as more accommodating or agreeable tended to experience fewer nightmares. This pattern points to a possible protective effect of outgoing social orientation and cooperative coping in reducing distressing dream occurrences. In practical terms, it implies that social engagement and flexible stress responses might help some individuals experience fewer upsetting dreams over time. Researchers emphasize that personality is just one piece of the puzzle and that dream experiences are shaped by a mix of cognitive, emotional, and lifestyle factors. These findings contribute to a growing understanding of how individual differences influence the dream life people report each night, with meaningful implications for sleep health and emotional well-being in diverse populations.
Overall, the study highlights how distinct personality profiles intersect with sleep biology to influence nightmare frequency. By examining both the emotional temperament and the coping strategies people use when faced with stress, researchers can better appreciate why some individuals are more prone to distressing dreams than others. The insights are relevant to audiences concerned with sleep quality, mental health, and everyday stress management across North American communities, including Canada and the United States, where recent surveys show a broad interest in understanding sleep and dream health in daily life.