Childhood sleep disturbance and risk of psychotic experiences at 18: UK birth cohort
Andrew David Thompson, Suzet Tanya Lereya, Glyn Lewis, Stanley Zammit, Helen Louise Fisher, Dieter Wolke
The British Journal of Psychiatry May 8, 2015 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.144089 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4,720 |
| Population | Individuals from a UK birth cohort, followed from childhood through age 18 |
| Duration | Follow-up from ages 2-9 through age 18 |
| Citations | 62 |
| Key findings | Nightmares at age 12 were associated with psychotic experiences at age 18 after adjustment for confounders and baseline psychotic experiences (OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.19-2.20), with larger odds ratios for persistent psychotic experiences. The authors suggest nightmares may be an early risk indicator for psychosis. |
Abstract
Background: Sleep disturbances are commonly reported in the psychosis prodrome, but rarely explored in relation to psychotic experiences.
Aims: To investigate the relationship between specific parasomnias (nightmares, night terrors and sleepwalking) in childhood and later adolescent psychotic experiences.
Method: The sample comprised 4720 individuals from a UK birth cohort. Mothers reported on children's experience of regular nightmares at several time points between 2 and 9 years. Experience of nightmares, night terrors and sleepwalking was assessed using a semi-structured interview at age 12. Psychotic experiences were assessed at ages 12 and 18 using a semi-structured clinical interview.
Results: There was a significant association between the presence of nightmares at 12 and psychotic experiences at 18 when adjusted for possible confounders and psychotic experiences at 12 (OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.19-2.20). The odds ratios were larger for those who reported persistent psychotic experiences.
Conclusions: The presence of nightmares might be an early risk indicator for psychosis.
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Nightmares in the general population: identifying potential causal factors Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology July 15, 2017
- Sleep, Nightmares and Schizophrenia Journal of Sleep Disorders and Management November 3, 2017
- Dreams are more “predictable” than you think Frontiers in Sleep July 23, 2025
- Parasomnias I Oxford University Press eBooks May 22, 2025
- "Dream Insertion": A Case Report of a Novel Psychotic Symptom in a Male Inpatient With Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia. Case Reports in Psychiatry January 16, 2026
and 5 more in the library
Cites 12
- Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Sleep 2002
- IQ and non-clinical psychotic symptoms in 12-year-olds: results from the ALSPAC birth cohort The British Journal of Psychiatry August 31, 2008
- Childhood parasomnias and psychotic experiences at age 12 years in a United Kingdom birth cohort. Sleep March 1, 2014
- Are delusional contents replayed during dreams? Consciousness and Cognition September 1, 2013
- The Dreaming Brain/Mind: A Role in Understanding Complex Mental Disorders? Frontiers in Psychiatry January 31, 2012
and 7 more in the library