Shining a light on a crucial aspect of mental health
Connection between sleep, trauma, nightmares, and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Tue, Mar 25
Connection between sleep and trauma, nightmares, and borderline personality disorder
Our research team has recently uncovered striking insights about the relationship between poor sleep quality and bad dreams in people with BPD.
They found that people with BPD score significantly higher (mean=8.67) on the validated Nightmare Experience Scale compared to the general community (mean=3.5).
This data was explained after they conducted a thematic analysis of dream content, revealing frequent themes such as trauma re-experiencing, current interpersonal conflicts, and fears of abandonment.
Our team is expanding this work to explore how sleep patterns and dream content fluctuate throughout the week and intersect with daily functioning and overall well-being in people with BPD. Understanding these connections is key to identifying clinical targets that could help improve sleep quality and, in turn, support mental health recovery.
Why does this matter?
Good quality sleep is essential for optimal performance and mental well-being—it’s one of the three pillars of health alongside proper nutrition and regular exercise.
People with BPD, a disorder marked by emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and intense fears of abandonment, often experience sleep disturbances. Research suggests that poor sleep quality, particularly when coupled with nightmares, may contribute to emotion dysregulation, self-harm, and suicidality in people with BPD.
Moreover, sleep medication and substance use (e.g. alcohol, cannabis, and sedatives) are known to further complicate sleep quality, but little research has explored these interconnections in people with BPD, despite their known negative impacts on sleep in the broader community.
What we know so far
Compared to other mental health conditions as well as the general population, people with BPD tend to have significantly worse sleep quality—whether in terms of continuity, sleep architecture, or subjective assessment.
Through our investigations, we hope to uncover actionable insights to enhance sleep health and improve the quality of life for people living with BPD.