eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: Developmental and Behavioral > Medical Topics
Sleep Disorder: Nightmares: Follow-up
Updated: Feb 25, 2008
Follow-up
Further Inpatient Care
- Inpatient care is not indicated.
Patient Education
- Reassure parents and patients that, in most cases, nightmares are sporadic. If a child experiences nightmares following a severe traumatic incident, or if nightmares occur more than twice a week over a period of several months, psychiatric intervention can help. Although not all everyday stressors can be removed, parents can strive to make bedtime a safe and comfortable time by spending time reading and relaxing with the child.
- For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Sleep Disorders Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles Disorders That Disrupt Sleep (Parasomnias), Night Terrors, and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.
Miscellaneous
Medicolegal Pitfalls
- Failure to obtain an adequate history may lead to an incorrect diagnosis and unnecessary testing.
- Failure to adequately educate the parents concerning the benign nature of the problem and its final outcome may lead to excessive anxiety and a search for an alternative cure.
More on Sleep Disorder: Nightmares |
| Overview: Sleep Disorder: Nightmares |
| Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Sleep Disorder: Nightmares |
| Treatment & Medication: Sleep Disorder: Nightmares |
Follow-up: Sleep Disorder: Nightmares |
| References |
| « Previous Page |
References
DiMario FJ Jr, Emery ES 3rd. The natural history of night terrors. Clin Pediatr (Phila). Oct 1987;26(10):505-11. [Medline].
Leung AK, Robson WL. Nightmares. J Natl Med Assoc. Mar 1993;85(3):233-5. [Medline].
Dahl RE. The pharmacologic treatment of sleep disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. Mar 1992;15(1):161-78. [Medline].
Guilleminault C, Palombini L, Pelayo R, Chervin RD. Sleepwalking and sleep terrors in prepubertal children: what triggers them?. Pediatrics. Jan 2003;111(1):e17-25. [Medline]. [Full Text].
Ipsiroglu OS, Fatemi A, Werner I, Paditz E, Schwarz B. Self-reported organic and nonorganic sleep problems in schoolchildren aged 11 to 15 years in Vienna. J Adolesc Health. Nov 2002;31(5):436-42. [Medline].
Siegel JM. Why we sleep. Sci Am. Nov 2003;289(5):92-7. [Medline].
Wise MS. Parasomnias in children. Pediatr Ann. Jul 1997;26(7):427-33. [Medline].
Further Reading
Keywords
sleep disorder, anxiety dream, terrifying dream, parasomnias, nightmare, night mare, incubus, rapid eye movement, REM, non-REM, nonrapid eye movement, mental retardation, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder
Follow-up: Sleep Disorder: Nightmares