Children who frequently have nightmares or experience night terrors by the age of 12 may be more likely to develop psychotic symptoms later in life, researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK report. Applications are published in SLEEP.
We definitely don’t want to worry parents with this news. Three out of four children have nightmares. If they appear regularly and continue into adolescence, they can nevertheless be an early signal that something more serious may occur later in life, says Prof. Dieter Wolke, research author.
Children who complained of frequent nightmares were 3,5 times more likely to develop psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. Night terrors doubled the risk of these problems. Nightmares in younger children (2 to 9 years of age) were associated with a 1,5-fold increase in risk.
The research covered children participating in the wider British project Children of the 90s. At the age of 12, 24,4 percent of surveyed children admitted having had regular nightmares in the past six months, and 9,3 percent. had night terrors. The likelihood of developing psychosis later in life increased with the frequency of nightmares and fears. However, the risk was not influenced by problems with falling asleep or frequent waking up at night.
The best advice for parents is to ensure that the lifestyle and environment support the child’s hygiene and sleep quality. Nutrition plays a role here, incl. avoiding sugary drinks before going to bed, and for younger children, removing stimulating appliances such as a TV or game console from the bedroom, comments Dr. Helen Fisher of King’s College London. (PAP)