Table 2.
Representative examples of dreamlike mentation description reported in included studies
| Study | Dreamlike mentation content as reported/described | NREM Parasomnia types reported in study |
|---|---|---|
| Oudiette et al (2009a) |
Plunged to death
Locked in a box and could not escape. Feeling suffocated
Broke vial containing a lethal virus
Being threatened by a Chinese dragon |
Sleepwalking/sleep terrors |
| Uguccioni et al (2013) |
People trying to kidnap my sons so I attacked them. I could not see the face of the aggressors
A truck drove straight at me so I tried to avoid it and run away
I was walking on the street and saw my husband kissing another girl so I went to him but a girl was trying to stop me. She pulled on my arm so I gave her a slap |
Sleepwalking/sleep terrors |
| Szucs et al (2014) |
Dangerously confined in a small place and unable to leave
Endangered due to flooding and needed to escape
Feeling trapped in a narrow tunnel with a train fast approaching |
Sleepwalking |
| Mwenge et al (2013) |
Finding baby trapped under the sheets, furniture and under husband's body
Child drowned in a jar of milk
Ceiling collapsing |
Sleepwalking |
| Gnoni et al (2020) |
My body is drained of blood and I know I am dying or dead
I am dead. I do not exist; I worry if I will be able to return into my body and I have to pinch myself to check if my body is alive
I am rising above my body, my body feels empty, and my soul has left my body as a large lump of sugar |
Confusional arousal |
| Zadra and Nielson. (1998) |
There was a man sitting in a chair beside her bed who wanted to harm her
Described “her mouth had been filled with large insects which she was quickly trying to grab with her hands and spit out – but without success”
Vague recall about “choking on something” |
Sleep terror |
| Schenck et al (1991) |
Finding a safe place for lettuce
Guests arriving for dinner party (while having episode of SRED)
Pulling down curtains while dreaming of creatures staring at her |
SRED/Sleepwalking/Sleep terror |
| Hartmann et al (2001) | Trying to flee from an attacker Attempting to fight a male attacker Seeing snakes in bedroom and feeling of being pursued by an evil presence | Sleepwalking/Sleep terror |
*Abbreviations: SRED – sleep-related eating disorder; NREM – non rapid eye movement.