Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
The fear of death (death anxiety) is a risk factor for various mental health conditions. Death anxiety has been theorized to elicit physiological arousal and worry and is empirically associated with attachment insecurity, each of which has been linked to disrupted sleep. However, limited research has explored the relationship between death anxiety, nightmares and insomnia. We examined the relationship between death anxiety and insomnia, as well as attachment style as a potential moderator, and nightmare severity as a possible mediator. Five hundred and fifteen adults completed an online survey; 70% were female, and 89% resided in Australia. Regression analyses revealed that death anxiety was positively related to insomnia, with no significant moderation by attachment style. Analyses using Hayes’ PROCESS macro revealed that nightmare severity mediated this relationship. These findings suggest that death anxiety may play a greater role in insomnia than previously considered and may be an important intervention target.
Keywords
death anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, attachment style, sleep disturbance, mental health
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
07481187
Publication Title
Death Studies
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
Centre for Precision Health
Funding Information
RM is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant Award (grant number: 2017628 - G215120). Melius Consulting PTY LTD funded the website development for this study to recruit participants.
Funding received from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
2017628 - G215120
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Menzies, R. E., Brown, J., Turner, M., Cunnington, D., Burge, M., Dunican, I. C., & Meaklim, H. (2026). Is a fear of death keeping you awake at night? Death anxiety predicts insomnia through nightmare severity. Death Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2026.2693544