Study Links Frequent Nightmares to Mental Illness in Teens
Frequent nightmares and episodes of night terrors during childhood can increase risk for psychotic experiences in adolescence, according to a study.
Researchers from the University of Warwick assessed the risks on mental health caused due to disturbing nightmares and terrors during childhood by using data from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) of participants aged between two and nine years.
These children were followed up to the age of 12 and it was found that they are three and a half times likely to develop psychotic abnormalities during teenage resulting from recurring nightmares in childhood. The results also showed those who experienced one period of nightmare had 16 percent increased risks for problems like hallucinations, interrupted thoughts and delusions. While, participants who reported having three or more episodes had 56 percent increased chances.
Dieter Wolke, study author and Professor from the University of Warwick said in a news release, "We certainly don't want to worry parents with this news; three in every four children experience nightmares at this young age. However, nightmares over a prolonged period or bouts of night terrors that persist into adolescence can be an early indicator of something more significant in later life."
During the research nearly one in four children reported to suffer from nightmares and less than one in ten had episodes of night terrors.
Night terrors are described as disturbed sleep with fear, panic, restlessness that occurs during the sleep cycles in the first half of the night. These terrors are often accompanied by a loud scream, rapid limbs and body movements, the individuals suffering from night terrors are usually unaware of their activity during the night. Nightmares are unpleasant dreams of events, danger, discomfort and negative emotions resulted by strong imagination. These conditions are common during childhood and stop in adulthood.
The authors also noted that conditions like difficulty in sleeping or insomnia and night walking are not associated with later psychotic experiences. According to the reports by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adolescence depression is associated with poor sleep throughout life span and high incidence of nightmares.
Dr Helen Fisher, of King's College London said, "The best advice is to try to maintain a lifestyle that promotes healthy sleep hygiene for your child, by creating an environment that allows for the best possible quality of sleep. Diet is a key part of this, such as avoiding sugary drinks before bed, but at that young age we'd always recommend removing any affecting stimuli from the bedroom - be it television, video games or otherwise. That's the most practical change you can make."
The experts urge early intervention and identification of the signs of mental illness that affects nearly thousands of children when they reach adulthood.
The study is published in the journal SLEEP.
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