Nightmare Prevalence, Distress, and Anxiety Among Young Children

This study investigated the relationship between nightmares and anxiety in young children. A sample of 45 parent-child pairs completed a demographic questionnaire, parent- and child-reported nightmare questionnaires, and a parent-reported anxiety scale. Results indicated that children reported significantly more nightmares and a higher level of nightmare distress compared to their parents. A positive relationship was found between parent- and child-reported nightmare frequency but not nightmare distress. Children who reported to have more frequent nightmares were also rated by their parent to have higher anxiety. No gender differences were found. Implications and future research are discussed.