Things that Go Bump in the Night: Frequency and Predictors of Nightmares in Anxious and Nonanxious Children. Issue 4 (3rd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reynolds, Katharine C.; Alfano, Candice A.
• Is Part Of: Behavioral sleep medicine. Volume 14:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 442
• Page End: 456
• Publication Date: 2016-07-03
• Subjects: Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sleep -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2015.1017099
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1540-2002

Abstract

Abstract : Frequency and predictors of nightmares among children 7–11 years old with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; n = 42) and no diagnosis ( n = 44) were examined using both prospective and retrospective child and parent reports. Both children with GAD and their parents reported significantly more nightmares than controls based on retrospective reports, but the groups did not differ when nightmares were assessed daily across a one-week prospective period. Females reported more nightmares than males according to prospective assessment only. Controlling for sex and group, child sleep anxiety and presleep somatic arousal predicted parent but not child report of nightmares. Results suggest both clinically anxious youth and their parents overestimate the occurrence of nightmares, yet factors influencing retrospective accounts appear to differ across informants.