Effects of a micro-intervention aimed at reducing the level of unpleasant dreams

Abstract

One-hundred and twenty-six adults participated in an experiment to test whether an online micro-intervention would reduce the level of unpleasant dreams. The intervention involved asking participants to recall vividly positive events of the day just before going to sleep. The results showed that the intervention led to a significantly lower level of unpleasant dreams in the experimental group the night after the intervention than in a waiting list control. The results indicate that the low-cost, easily disseminated intervention is worthy of further evaluation to determine whether the effects endure over time and whether the effects extend to children and to individuals who have PTSD.