Nightmares in children are scary or frightening dreams that usually wakes them up. These dreams usually occur in the last third of the night, when we have more rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. They can involve fear or anxiety, and other emotions like anger, sadness, embarrassment, or disgust.

Most children experience at least one nightmare. Chronic or very frequent nightmares happen less often. Nightmares in children can happen at any age, but they usually start between the ages of 3 and 6 and decrease after age 10. After age 12, girls are more likely than boys to have nightmares.

Types of nightmares differ by developmental stage. Younger kids are likely to have nightmares about being separated from their caregivers or seeing a monster. Older kids are likely to have nightmares related to scary movies, or upcoming stressors like starting a new school.

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