Testing Affect Regulation Theories of Dreaming

Findings supported affect continuity from dream-to-wake yet affect regulation at the individual level. Frightening dreams related to worse morning affect, with a more pronounced effect among high-regulation individuals. High-regulation individuals tended to experience more fearful dreams. Mixed dream emotions were related to mornings without NA and dream joy related to higher morning PA. Our findings suggest adaptive, though dynamic, effects of dream emotions on psychological functioning. Statement of Significance This study challenges existing dream theories by exploring the complex interplay between dream emotions, waking affect, and emotion regulation. We found that frightening dreams were associated with worse next-day affect, yet individuals who experienced more dream fear showed greater adaptive emotion regulation. Further, mixed emotion dreams (i.e., dreams high in fear and joy) were related to subsequent mornings with no negative affect. These findings suggest that dream emotions may play a role in waking psychological functioning. Our innovative approach combined a large community sample with advanced language processing to quantify dream emotions objectively. These findings suggest promising avenues for exploring whether dream emotions are modifiable targets in the treatment of mood concerns, such as major depressive disorder.