Nightmare Disorder (page 2) Nightmares can be frightening
experiences for anyone, but they are especially traumatic for
children. Any parent who has been awakened in the middle of the
night by a child's piercing scream can verify how upsetting
nightmares can be. Children have more frequent nightmares than
adults and they can become a serious childhood problem. It's
estimated that up to 50% of children 3 - 5 years of age have
nightmares that are intense enough to disturb their parents.
Nightmares are much more terrifying for young children because
they have difficulty telling the difference between things that
are possible and "real" and those that are not. They are not
able to tell themselves "it was only a dream". Although much
research has been done on dreams, the exact cause of nightmares
is unknown. It's most likely a combination of many different
factors, including individual experiences, differences and age
as well as biological and physiological processes. Certain
factors such as severe stress, traumat