Half of young children under the age of six experience frequent nightmares, leading to poor sleep quality, mental health issues and an increased risk of dementia. Researchers in Oklahoma have now identified why these nightmares recur and how to break the cycle.
A child's fear of falling asleep after a nightmare, combined with stress, anxiety and trauma, contributes to repetitive nightmares, according to Lisa Cromer, a professor of psychology at the University of Tulsa. She says changing how children respond to nightmares can interrupt the cycle.
Cromer and colleagues developed the DARC-NESS model, which encourages doctors to consider how a child interprets the dream, worries about sleep, experiences bedtime anxiety and copes after waking up. This personalised approach may involve reducing anxiety, improving bedtime habits, or writing or drawing about the nightmare.
When children feel empowered to address their nightmares, they sleep better, have more energy, attend school more regularly and show improved behaviour, said Tara Buck, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Oklahoma University Health. However, nightmares may persist due to an overactive amygdala, the brain's fear centre.
Techniques such as deep breathing to lower cortisol levels and a nutritious diet can help soothe a hyperactive amygdala, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Addressing root causes does not always stop nightmares, but the new model offers a promising pathway to treatment.
