Kids who are bullied when they are about 8 to 10 years old are more likely to sleep walk and experience night terrors and nightmares when they reach 12 years of age, a new study finds.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Warwick. The researchers found that being bullied increased the risk for a category of sleep disorder known as parasomnia. It includes sleep-related problems such as nightmares, night terrors or sleep walking.
"We found children who were bullied at age 8 or 10 years were more likely to have nightmares, night terrors, or sleepwalking at age 12 years. Moreover, those who were bullied and bullied others (bully/victims) were most likely to have any parasomnia," Professor Wolke, from Warwick Medical School and the Department of Psychology, said in a press statement. "Consistent with previous studies, being a female, having persistent sleep problems, and emotional and behavior problems in childhood additionally increased the risk for parasomnias at age 12 years."
For the study, researchers interviewed children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) at elementary school age (8 and 10 years) about bullying experiences and then about parasomnias at secondary school age (12-13 years).
"Nightmares may occur when anxiety exceeds a threshold level and several studies have suggested that trait anxiety may be related to the frequency of parasomnias. However, even after controlling for pre-existing anxiety problems our results showed that being bullied may increase the risk for parasomnias," Dr Suzet Tanya Lereya from the University of Warwick said. "If a child is experiencing frequent parasomnias, parents, teachers, school counsellors, and clinicians may consider asking about bullying. This would allow detecting bullied children and providing the help they need at an early time to reduce the negative effects of being bullied."
The study was published online in Pediatrics, journal of the American Pediatric Association.
