Dreaming for two: A systematic review of mental sleep activity during pregnancy.

Changes in sleep and dreams are often observed during pregnancy. Dreaming may represent privileged access to the inner world of individuals, providing relevant information about their well-being. For this reason, a growing but heterogeneous literature has investigated dream experiences of pregnant women. The present paper aimed to systematically review the available evidence on the relationship between pregnancy and oneric activity, focusing on dream and nightmare frequency, dream contents, and emotional features. Moreover, dream changes between pre-partum and post-partum periods and the impact of previous pregnancy-related adverse events on dreaming have been summarized. Overall, 17 studies have been examined. The reviewed evidence suggests that women tend to have an abundant production of dreams and nightmares during pregnancy, and some results support the view that a high rate of dream recall is associated with poor sleep quality. Most studies have shown a high presence of pregnancy-related dream content, likely reflecting waking experiences and concerns. Additionally, dreaming may promote psychological preparation and activation of functional coping strategies to face life changes after childbirth. • Dreams may represent privileged access to the inner world of pregnant women. • Dreaming could promote emotional regulation in pregnant women. • Literature on dreaming in pregnancy is still characterized by many methodological flaws. • The assessment of dreams may be useful for health professionals to evaluate mood-related aspects of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]