%0 Journal Article
%T Measuring Nightmare Frequency: Retrospective Questionnaires Versus Prospective Logs
%A J. Lancee
%A V.I. Spoormaker
%A G. Peterse and J. van den Bout
%J The Open Sleep Journal
%D 2008
%I Bentham Open
%R 10.2174/1874620900801010026]
%X Retrospective measurements underestimate nightmare frequency, but little is known about how retrospective duration and attention for nightmares may affect this process. This study evaluates the differences between two retrospective durations, a prospective log, and a retrospective estimate after keeping this log. Forty-nine participants completed the SLEEP-50, kept a nightmare log, and estimated their nightmares after keeping a log. Paired t-tests showed that estimates of nightmare frequencies differed significantly from each other according to measurement type (p < .05). Prospective logs are the most accurate way of estimating nightmare frequency, possibly due to simply forgetting over time. For treatment studies relying solely on retrospective measurements, a short duration is recommended.
%U http://www.benthamscience.com/open/toslpj/articles/V001/26TOSLPJ.htm