Mo Med. 2026 Mar-Apr;123(2):174-180.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dreams often evoke autonomic arousal, yet the relationship between dream patterns and cardiovascular health has rarely been examined.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional SLEEP Study, 301 adults recruited via the Prolific research platform completed an online questionnaire assessing sexual-dream frequency, post-dream symptoms, and self-reported cardiovascular history. Associations between sexual-dream frequency and self-reported cardiovascular outcomes were examined using chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression. The primary multivariable model evaluated self-reported heart issues after adjustment for age, smoking, depression, anxiety, and medication use.
RESULTS: The most commonly reported post-dream symptoms were increased heart rate (57%), sweating (35%), and anxiety (34%). Compared with rare sexual dreams (≤ once per year), sexual dreams occurring a few times per month were associated with higher odds of self-reported heart issues (OR 3.03, 95% CI 1.38-6.67; p = 0.005), and dreams occurring a few times per week were associated with still higher odds (OR 6.62, 95% CI 1.64-26.7; p = 0.004).
CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, sexual-dream frequency was associated with self-reported heart issues. Prospective studies using objective cardiovascular outcomes are needed before clinical application.
PMID:42125296 | PMC:PMC13160473