Doctors Answers (2)
Horror films can certainly scare children unreasonably. If he already has problems with night terrors, even though I am a nurse, not a physician, I would say he doesn't need to watch it. But, treatment for night terrors should be evaluated by a sleep physician to determine the frequency and severity and discuss if treatment is indicated.
Night terrors are having vivid dreams during the stage 3, non-REM portions of sleep. In some instances, night terrors in children can stem from disrupted sleep due to a sleep breathing disorder. If your child watched horror films, he may have more nightmares since that happens during REM sleep. That is a stage where your mind is processing input. I'm not sure how much scientific validity this has, however, if your child watches something happy before going to bed, maybe he or she will have a less likely chance of nightmares.
