Fear in Dreams Predicts Stronger Affect Reactivity in Wakefulness
Enyu Lin1, Simone Grassini2,3, Henry Railo1
1Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland.
Sleep
|July 22, 2026
Summary
Dreaming about fear and good sleep quality are linked to greater objective emotional reactivity during wakefulness. This study found continuity between dream affect and neurophysiological responses, but not subjective ones.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Sleep Science
Background:
- Sleep and dreaming are crucial for emotional processing and regulation.
- The connection between dream affect and waking emotional regulation is not well understood.
- This study explores the relationship between dream affect and waking emotional reactivity and regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between dream affect and waking emotional reactivity and regulation.
- To examine if dream affect predicts objective neurophysiological responses during emotional tasks.
- To assess the continuity between dream affect and subjective waking emotional experiences.
Main Methods:
- 87 participants kept dream journals and rated dream affect and sleep quality.
- Participants completed an emotional reactivity and regulation task with negative and neutral stimuli.
- Brain activity was measured using electroencephalography (EEG), focusing on the late positive potential (LPP).
Main Results:
- Higher dream fear and better sleep quality correlated with increased objective affect reactivity (larger LPP amplitudes) to negative stimuli.
- No significant associations were found between dream affect and subjective ratings of affect reactivity.
- Dream affect did not predict waking affect regulation capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Findings support a continuity between dream affect (specifically fear) and objective, neurophysiological affect reactivity in wakefulness.
- No continuity was observed between dream affect and subjective waking emotional experiences or regulation.
- Dream content may reflect underlying emotional processing mechanisms that also influence waking neurophysiological responses.
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