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

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  • Maurizio Gorgoni

    (Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
    Body and Action Lab, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 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
    Body and Action Lab, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy)

  • Luigi De Gennaro

    (Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
    Body and Action Lab, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Maurizio Gorgoni & Serena Scarpelli & Valentina Alfonsi & Ludovica Annarumma & Elisa Pellegrini & Elisabetta Fasiello & Susanna Cordone & Aurora D’Atri & Federico Salfi & Giulia Amicucci & Michele Fer, 2022. "The Oneiric Activity during and after the COVID-19 Total Lockdown in Italy: A Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:7:p:3857-:d:778412
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julio Torales & Marcelo O’Higgins & João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia & Antonio Ventriglio, 2020. "The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(4), pages 317-320, June.
    2. Tore A. Nielsen & Philippe Stenstrom, 2005. "What are the memory sources of dreaming?," Nature, Nature, vol. 437(7063), pages 1286-1289, October.
    3. Shaul Kimhi & Yohanan Eshel & Hadas Marciano & Bruria Adini, 2020. "A Renewed Outbreak of the COVID?19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study of Distress, Resilience, and Subjective Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-13, October.
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    1. Ilaria Cataldo & Dora Novotny & Alessandro Carollo & Gianluca Esposito, 2023. "Mental Health in the Post-Lockdown Scenario: A Scientometric Investigation of the Main Thematic Trends of Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-21, July.

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