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Nightmares and Sleep Disturbances in Children with PTSD: A Polysomnographic and Actigraphy Approach Evaluation

Julie Rolling1,2,3,4, Juliette Rabot1,3,4,5,6, Eve Reynaud3,4,7

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Strasbourg University Hospital, 67091 Strasbourg, France.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|October 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Children with PTSD experience significant sleep disturbances, including insomnia and nightmares, which are linked to symptom severity. Addressing these sleep issues, especially in their natural environment, is crucial for effective PTSD treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Trauma Studies

Background:

  • Sleep disturbances (insomnia, nightmares) are key symptoms of pediatric PTSD.
  • Untreated sleep disturbances predict PTSD persistence and psychiatric complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Evaluate sleep and circadian rhythms in children with PTSD.
  • Compare sleep patterns in laboratory vs. ecological settings.
  • Correlate sleep disturbances and circadian rhythms with PTSD severity.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective pilot study of 11 children with PTSD (aged 3-18) and matched controls.
  • Used questionnaires, polysomnography, and actigraphy.
  • Assessments conducted 1-6 months post-trauma.

Main Results:

  • Children with PTSD showed increased sleep fragmentation and altered sleep microarchitecture.
  • Sleep fragmentation correlated with PTSD, insomnia, and nightmare severity.
  • Sleep architecture was better in laboratory settings than at home.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep and rhythm disturbances are strongly linked to childhood PTSD.
  • Systematic assessment of sleep disturbances should occur under ecological conditions.
  • Therapy for childhood PTSD should integrate environmental factors and psycho-education.
Abstract

Keywords:
childrennightmarespost-traumatic stress disordersleep disturbancesvideo-polysomnography

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