title: Nightmares: risk factors among the Finnish general adult population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify risk factors for experiencing nightmares among the Finnish general adult population. The study aimed to both test whether previously reported correlates of frequent nightmares could be reproduced in a large population sample and to explore previously unreported associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two independent cross-sectional population surveys of the National FINRISK Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age- and sex-stratified random samples of the Finnish population in 2007 and 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 13,922 participants (6,515 men and 7,407 women) aged 25-74 y.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nightmare frequency as well as several items related to socioeconomic status, sleep, mental well-being, life satisfaction, alcohol use, medication, and physical well-being were recorded with a questionnaire. In multinomial logistic regression analysis, a depression-related negative attitude toward the self (odds ratio [OR] 1.32 per 1-point increase), insomnia (OR 6.90), and exhaustion and fatigue (OR 6.86) were the strongest risk factors for experiencing frequent nightmares (P < 0.001 for all). Sex, age, a self-reported impaired ability to work, low life satisfaction, the use of antidepressants or hypnotics, and frequent heavy use of alcohol were also strongly associated with frequent nightmares (P < 0.001 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Symptoms of depression and insomnia were the strongest predictors of frequent nightmares in this dataset. Additionally, a wide variety of factors related to psychological and physical well-being were associated with nightmare frequency with modest effect sizes. Hence, nightmare frequency appears to have a strong connection with sleep and mood problems, but is also associated with a variety of measures of psychological and physical well-being.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Public Health Genomics Unit and Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, Helsinki, Finland.|University of Turku, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Psychology, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sandman
authors.affiliation: University of Turku, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Turku Brain and Mind Center Department of Psychology, Turku, Finland.|School of Bioscience, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Valli
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health, Unit of Chronic Disease Prevention, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kronholm
authors.affiliation: University of Turku, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Turku Brain and Mind Center Department of Psychology, Turku, Finland.|School of Bioscience, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Revonsuo
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health, Unit of Chronic Disease Prevention, Turku, Finland.|University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio, Finland.|Hospital District of North Karelia, Joensuu, Finland.
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laatikainen
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Public Health Genomics Unit and Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, Helsinki, Finland.|Helsinki University and University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paunio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004325:Dreams / Q000523:psychology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: adult; depression; dreaming; epidemiology; insomnia; nightmare; risk factor