Disturbing Dreams Are Reported to Be Common in Early Childhood (e.g., Diagnostic and Statisti- Cal Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition

DISTURBING DREAMS ARE REPORTED TO BE COMMON IN EARLY CHILDHOOD (E.G., DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS, FOURTH EDITION [DSM-IV] International Classification of Sleep Disorders-2) even though there is a scarcity of cross-sectional research—and a complete absence of longitudinal research—on this question. The possibilities that bad dreams reflect a stable personality trait originating in early childhood or that risk and protection factors for bad dreams reside in a child’s early temperament and sleep quality or in parental sleep-enabling behaviors also remain speculative because of a lack of targeted research. Meanwhile, the Sleep In Infancy and chIldhood