People who are lonely may be more likely to have bad dreams, new research has found, highlighting the importance of social connections for sleep and overall health.
It’s well established that loneliness comes with a host of negative effects, and researchers have identified a new one to add to the list: nightmares.
A new paper published in The Journal of Psychology outlines the results of two studies — both of which found that loneliness was a predictor of nightmare frequency. The second study found that being lonely was associated with having more intense nightmares, too.
Conducted by researchers at Oregon State University, the University of Arizona, the University of Tampa, and Whitworth University, the findings suggest a link between loneliness and sleep disorders, both of which are considered to be major public health issues.
Several factors play a role in the association between loneliness and nightmares, according to the study. Stress is one such factor. Rumination, also defined as anxiety or worrying, was also found to play a role, as was hyperarousal — or state of being ultra alert.
The authors wrote that these findings correspond with the evolutionary theory of loneliness (ETL), which argues that human belongingness is essential to survival and failing to meet belongingness needs constitutes a threat to viability.
“Interpersonal relationships are very much a core human need,” said researcher Colin Hesse, director of the School of Communication in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts, in a news release. “When people’s need for strong relationships goes unmet, they suffer physically, mentally and socially. Just like hunger or fatigue means you haven’t gotten enough calories or sleep, loneliness has evolved to alert individuals when their needs for interpersonal connection are going unfulfilled.”
In recent years, loneliness in the United States and the rest of the world has been described as an epidemic — one that was greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But even before 2020, a report from the U.S. surgeon general’s office says about half of American adults reported measurable levels of loneliness.
That report explains that loneliness is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. In fact, the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, according to the report, and even greater than obesity and physical inactivity.
Sleep disorders are likewise associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and premature death.
Good quality sleep is meanwhile necessary for cognitive functioning, mood regulation, metabolism and many other aspects of well-being, according to Hesse.
It’s for this reason that the authors set out to explore what psychological states affect sleep quality, and they hope to explore whether addressing loneliness might reduce an individual’s nightmares in future research.
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