Nightmares can be terrifying for kids, damaging their sleep and exacerbating their everyday anxiety. A new therapeutic model can help children with nightmares by empowering them to defeat their nightmares. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma recently published a report in the journal Frontiers In Sleep on April 9, 2026.
The model, known as DARC-NESS, teaches children the skills they need to overcome nightmares and restore good sleep, according to University of Oklahoma researchers. This model examines the mechanisms that maintain nightmares, as well as those that can break the cycle.
According to the experts, it is a child’s response to nightmares that causes the chronic nightmares to occur, which means that if we can learn to respond to nightmares differently. Insomnia causes people to fear they will not be able to sleep. Kids with severe nightmares have the opposite problem, researchers say. In most cases, children feel like sleeping but fail to do so due to the fear of nightmares.
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Others may need assistance managing their fear before sleep, and others may need to improve their sleep hygiene practices, scientists explained.
According to the scholars of the American Board of Professional Psychology, children may undertake exposure therapy, whereby they will have to discuss the nature of their nightmares and possibly create a drawing depicting them. As per them, there is a need for a nightmare treatment model to help kids when their nightmares are recurrent and distressing.
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Disclaimer:
This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting or changing any medication or treatment.