A systematic review of Nightmare prevalence in children.
Elissar El Sabbagh, Aviva N Johns, Christy E Mather, Lisa D Cromer
Sleep Medicine Reviews October 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101834 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractNightmares affect between 1% and 11% of school-aged youth in the past week and 25% to 35% in the past month in general developmental samples, while rates are higher in psychiatric samples, ranging from 27% to 57% in the past week and 18% to 22% in the past month. Nightmare disorder prevalence is about 3% to 6% in developmental samples and 10% to 12% in psychiatric samples. Nightmare frequency peaks between ages 10 and 14, then declines with older age, and is generally higher in girls than boys, with gender divergence starting around age 14. Children's self-reports yield higher prevalence than parent reports, except in psychiatric samples where agreement is greater. Inconsistent definitions and measurement methods across studies highlight the need for standardized assessment.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | School-aged youth (pediatric developmental and psychiatric samples) from 23 countries |
| Keywords | Adolescents Children Nightmare disorder Nightmare prevalence Nightmares |
| Key finding | Nightmare prevalence peaks between ages 10 and 14, is higher in girls than boys, and varies widely by sample type and assessment method. |
Abstract
The purpose of this narrative review was to describe prevalence rates of nightmares and nightmare disorder in school-aged youth according to sample characteristics and methods used to assess nightmares. We searched PsychINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL databases to identify empirical peer-reviewed articles and grey literature published between 2001 and 2021. Sixty-nine studies from 23 countries were included. The prevalence of nightmares was between 1% and 11% in the past week and 25% to 35% in the past month in pediatric developmental samples and between 27% and 57% in the past week and 18%-22% in the past month in psychiatric samples. The prevalence of nightmare disorder was approximately between 3% and 6% in pediatric developmental samples and 10%-12% in psychiatric samples. Nightmare prevalence peaks between ages 10 and 14 then decreases with older age. Generally, prevalence was higher in girls than boys, and one study suggested gender divergence started around age 14. Children's self-reports were higher than parent reports, except in samples with comorbid psychiatric problems where there was more parent-child agreement. Inconsistencies in nightmare definitions and measurement were observed across the literature and indicate a need for standardized measurement of nightmares.