skip to main contentskip to main menuskip to footer Universität Bielefeld Play Search
skip to main content

Department of Psychology

 Overview

© Universität Bielefeld

Nightmares

During childhood, nightmares are a regularly occurring and normal developmental phenomenon. When children are getting older, frequency and intensity of nightmares normally decreases. From time to time, nightmares continue into adulthood. Not only the frequency of such kind of dreams leads to problems. Even rare, but very intense nightmares can have a massive influence on the next day's wellbeing.
 

Dreams and nightmares are getting more research attention only since a few years. Even though it is not completely known why nightmares appear and how they emerge, there are some promising approaches for the treatment of nightmares.

Questionnaire about nightmares in adolescents - FAJ (Fragebogen zu Alpträumen bei Jugendlichen)

Nightmares also appear during adolescence and influence the daytime functioning of the affected adolescents. Current studies showed that the frequency of nightmares only has a negligible influence on how burdening nightmares are. Research results point out that the personal attitude and appraisal towards nightmares are influencing how burdensome nightmares are perceived and how big the influence on daily functioning is. Until now, there is no questionnaire for adolescents to gather their cognitions and attitudes towards nightmares. To eliminate this lack, the questionnaire about nightmares in adolescents (FAJ) was developed. At the moment, data to validate the FAJ are analyzed and prepared for publication.

Nightmares Effects Questionnaire - NEQ

Independent of the frequency of nightmares, they can be a burden for the affected person and restrict them in their everyday life. The Nightmares Effects Questionnaire (NEQ) was developed to get a more detailed and broad impression of the effects of nightmares on everyday functioning. There are two different versions of the NEQ, which can be used from the age of 14 until late adulthood. A study with first psychometric properties of the NEQ is already published.

Publications:
Schlarb, A. A., Zschoche, M., & Schredl, M. (2016). Der Nightmare Effects Questionnaire (NEQ): Pilotstudie zu ersten psychometrischen Kennwerten bei Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen. Somnologie. DOI: 10.1007/s11818-016-0086-0.

back to top