Mr Schredl, why do children have nightmares?

Mr Schredl, what is a dream for you?

For me, dreaming is the subjective experience during sleep. The specific characteristic is that in dreams you think you are awake. The time required for experiences in dreams is comparable to the time required for waking experiences. We therefore do not act any faster in dreams than when we are awake. However, jumps are possible. For example, if I dream of climbing a mountain, I can simply cancel the hike at will and suddenly find myself on a beach in the Caribbean. When we are awake, our brain is constantly producing sensations, thoughts, ideas and memories. To do this, neuronal networks are activated, which are also activated during sleep. The brain draws on experiences made in waking life and mixes everything in a very creative way.

If the dream is based on experiences from waking life, how do unrealistic dreams such as being able to fly come about?

In this case, we are talking about discontinuity: we can dream something that we have never experienced in waking life. Dreams are imaginative, just like our waking thoughts: we are capable of inventing stories and imagining that we are flying. It just feels more real and often more beautiful in dreams. Waking experiences still play a role, as we know from the description of flying dreams: Mostly experiences we are familiar with are described, for example from swimming. I myself do a kind of pike jump when I fly.

Do children dream differently to adults?

As we typically think we are awake during the dream, a dream could be remembered as a real event after waking up. This often happens with young children. They do not yet recognise dream images as fantasies produced in the mind. Most five-year-olds, on the other hand, can categorise dreams as subjective experiences during sleep. However, some dreams lead to confusion even in adults: if you dream about the real environment - for example, waking up in your own bed - it may be difficult to distinguish between the dream and the real experience after waking up.

Are there also differences in terms of content?

As the waking lives of children and adults differ, so do their dreams. Younger children dream more about animals, adolescents more about peers and interactions with them, i.e. topics that are important at these stages of life. The dreams of young children are not as detailed as those of adults. This probably has to do with their ability to express themselves: they also describe waking experiences in less detail. There are also differences between the sexes. Boys dream more about physical aggression. Girls' dreams are more likely to take place indoors. Presumably because boys fight more outside, while girls do more activities indoors.

Many children report nightmares. Are nightmares pathological?

A nightmare is not initially pathological. It is defined as a dream with a strong negative affect that usually leads to awakening. The five most common themes include dreams in which you fall, are persecuted, are paralysed, loved ones die or you are late. Such dreams are pathological if their frequency impairs your mood and ability to concentrate and favours the fear of falling asleep. The rule of thumb is: at least one nightmare per week. In children, the most visible characteristic is the fear of falling asleep or of having another bad dream.

Why do children experience more nightmares?

If children learn to deal constructively with fears in waking life during the course of their development, nightmares - the fears of the night - also decrease. However, the frequency of frequent nightmares remains relatively constant throughout life, because predisposition plays a role here.

What are the most common causes of nightmares?

We start from the so-called predisposition-stress model: This states that there is a genetic factor that has to do with personality. American researchers have described nightmares as people with «thin boundaries». They are often sensitive, imaginative and creative. In addition to this predisposition, stress plays an important role. This was shown in our research with students: The more stress someone has, the more nightmares he or she has.

What can parents do if their child is afraid of falling asleep?

Parents can practise with their child how to deal constructively with their fears. Firstly, the child should draw the most important dream scene so that the nightmare gets out of their head and onto paper. The second step is to think about: What could help me to be less afraid? The corresponding element - for example the parents or a magician - is added to the drawing. This teaches the child: Fear is not bad, I can think of a way to help myself. The picture is worked through together for five to ten minutes a day for a fortnight - preferably during the day when the child is in full possession of their imagination. At night, it is better to comfort and reassure the child so that they can fall asleep again.

About the person

Read more:

• What do dreams mean and how do they come about? Our big dossier text
• Parents' bed battle zone: How should parents deal with a 5-year-old daughter who still doesn't sleep through the night?
• Sleep, little child, sleep! As the child gets older, the rings under the parents' eyes fade. But then comes a developmental leap and everything starts all over again.