Understanding the Interactive Effects of Mindfulness Practices and Sleep Quality on Nightmare Frequency and Severity

Mindfulness and high-quality sleep can lessen nightmare frequency and severity. Sleep quality and nightmares are negatively correlated, and some studies have shown that mindfulness lessens nightmares. However, less is known about the combined effect of mindfulness and sleep quality on nightmare frequency and severity. This study aims to fill this gap by asking the question, does the combination of mindfulness and high-quality sleep have a stronger effect in lessening nightmare frequency and severity than either variable alone? Mindfulness practices should be explored alongside high-quality sleep to lessen the frequency and severity of nightmares using quantitative data analysis. A Qualtrics survey was posted on the University of Northern Colorado’s (UNCO) Psychology Program Research Participant Pool (SONA) for students to access, seventy participants’ data was collected and analyzed. Three published surveys were used to collect data, the Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Nightmare Experience Scale (NExS). The questions in the survey asked participants about mindfulness, quality of sleep, and how intense and bothersome their nightmares were. It was hypothesized that mindfulness and high-quality sleep together would decrease nightmare frequency and severity. Results demonstrated among participants there was no significant effect of practicing mindfulness and having high-quality sleep in lessening nightmare frequency and severity. Limitations in this study possibly include participants not suffering from nightmares on a regular basis. Future studies could result in interventions that lead to improved clinical therapy techniques combining both mindfulness practices and high-quality sleep to lessen nightmare frequency and severity.