Do people with psychopathic traits sleep differently? Researchers have explored links between personality measures and sleep, but the findings do not support a single sleep pattern for everyone with those traits.
What do researchers mean by psychopathy?
Psychopathy is a research and clinical construct involving a pattern of interpersonal, emotional and behavioral traits. Studies use different questionnaires and assessment tools; psychopathic traits, a high score on a questionnaire and a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder are not interchangeable. Individuals vary, and a score cannot tell you whether someone is violent or what they dream about.
What have studies found about sleep?
A 2016 study of young adults found associations between questionnaire measures of certain personality traits, including psychopathy, and reported sleep disturbances. A 2023 study examined personality traits and sleep quality in people with affective disorders and comparison participants. These studies describe associations in particular groups; they do not show that a trait caused an individual’s sleep problem.
Results are not uniform. A 2015 community study using actigraphy and self-reports did not find a linear relationship between its psychopathy measures and sleep outcomes. Differences in samples, traits and measurement methods can affect findings.
What about REM sleep and nightmares?
Researchers have investigated sleep architecture, including REM, in small and varied groups. An older study of criminal psychopathy and REM is one example of that research, but it does not establish a universal REM deficit. Dream recall and nightmare reports are also influenced by many factors and are not diagnostic tests for personality traits.
REM sleep is associated with vivid dreaming and is one part of normal sleep; dreams can also occur outside REM. See our REM sleep guide for the basics.
Why are conclusions difficult?
- Different populations: Findings from community samples, people with mood disorders or incarcerated groups may not generalize to one another.
- Different measures: Questionnaires describe perceived sleep or traits; sleep studies and actigraphy measure different aspects of sleep.
- Other influences: Mental health, medications, substance use, schedule and sleep disorders can affect sleep. An association alone cannot isolate the cause.
- Individual variation: Group averages cannot predict one person’s dreams, fatigue or behavior.
What to do about a sleep problem
For persistent insomnia, daytime sleepiness, disturbing nightmares, loud snoring or witnessed breathing pauses, speak with a healthcare professional. A sleep history and, when appropriate, a sleep study can help identify treatable problems. Personality labels or a wearable’s REM estimate should not be used to diagnose someone.
Frequently asked questions
Do people with psychopathic traits dream?
There is no basis for saying they do not dream. Dream recall varies widely among people.
Can REM sleep identify psychopathy?
No. A sleep-stage measurement cannot diagnose psychopathy or antisocial personality disorder.
Does poor sleep cause psychopathic traits?
Associational studies cannot establish that. Both sleep and behavior are influenced by multiple factors.
Sources: 2016 young-adult study; 2023 sleep-quality study; 2015 actigraphy study. This guide is educational and not a diagnosis.