People who are lonely are more apt to have bad dreams, according to a collaboration that included an Oregon State University scientist.
The findings are important because both loneliness and sleep disorders are serious public health issues, said OSU’s Colin Hesse. They are connected to increased risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death.
In a paper published in the Journal of Psychology, Hesse and researchers at the University of Arizona, the University of Tampa and Whitworth University note that stress is part of the link between loneliness and both nightmare frequency and intensity.
Other factors tying loneliness to nightmares appear to be rumination – worry and anxiety – and hyperarousal, described as the state of being extra alert and focused. Like stress, rumination and hyperarousal are mind states associated with loneliness.
In addition to shedding light on a potential adverse effect of too little human connection, the findings of the study led by Kory Floyd of the University Arizona are in line with the evolutionary theory of loneliness, which posits that a sense of belonging is essential to human survival.