The Oneiric Activity during and after the COVID-19 Total Lockdown in Italy: A Longitudinal Study

Maurizio Gorgoni, Serena Scarpelli, Valentina Alfonsi, Ludovica Annarumma, Elisa Pellegrini, Elisabetta Fasiello, Susanna Cordone, Aurora D’Atri, Federico Salfi, Giulia Amicucci, Michele Ferrara, Mariella Pazzaglia and Luigi De Gennaro
Additional contact information
Maurizio Gorgoni: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Serena Scarpelli: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Valentina Alfonsi: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Ludovica Annarumma: Body and Action Lab, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
Elisa Pellegrini: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Elisabetta Fasiello: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Susanna Cordone: Faculty of Medicine, UniCamillus, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy
Aurora D’Atri: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Federico Salfi: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Giulia Amicucci: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Michele Ferrara: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Mariella Pazzaglia: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Luigi De Gennaro: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: A growing body of evidence highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic affected oneiric activity. However, only a few studies have assessed the longitudinal changes in dream phenomenology during different phases of the pandemic, often focused on a limited number of dream variables. The aim of the present study was to provide an exhaustive assessment of dream features during total lockdown (TL) and a post-lockdown (PL) period characterized by eased restrictive measures in Italy. We performed a longitudinal study using a web-based survey to collect demographic, COVID-19 related, clinical, sleep, and dream data at TL and PL. Our final sample included 108 participants. The high frequency of poor sleep quality, anxiety, and depressive symptoms observed during TL remained stable at PL, while sleep latency ( t = −4.09; p < 0.001) and PTSD-related disruptive nocturnal behaviors ( t = −5.68; p < 0.001) exhibited a reduction at PL. A PL decrease in time spent with digital media was observed ( t = −2.77; p = 0.007). We found a strong PL reduction in dream frequency ( t = −5.49; p < 0.001), emotional load ( t = −2.71; p = 0.008), vividness ( t = −4.90; p < 0.001), bizarreness ( t = −4.05; p < 0.001), length ( t = −4.67; p < 0.001), and lucid dream frequency ( t = −2.40; p = 0.018). Fear was the most frequently reported emotion in dreams at TL (26.9%) and PL (22.2%). Only the frequency of specific lockdown-related dream contents exhibited a reduction at PL. These findings highlight that the end of the home confinement had a strong impact on the oneiric activity, in the direction of reduced dream frequency, intensity, and lockdown-related contents. The co-occurrence of such changes with a decline in nocturnal PTSD-related symptoms, sleep latency, and time with digital media suggests an influence of post-traumatic stress levels, lifestyle modifications, and sleep pattern on dream changes during different phases of the pandemic. The stable prevalence of fear in dreams and the large frequency of poor sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and anxiety are probably related to the persistence of many negative consequences of the pandemic. Overall, these results are consistent with the continuity hypothesis of dreams.

Keywords: dreams; COVID-19; lockdown; pandemic; continuity hypothesis; emotions; sleep; PTSD; disruptive nocturnal behaviors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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