Nightmares tend to be more common among children and decrease in frequency toward adulthood.
In children, the content of the nightmare may be influenced by daytime experiences such as television viewing, movies, or scary real-life events. In adults, there is a less specific association between nightmares and daytime events. The majority of adults tend not to remember the content of their dreams or nightmares or only small portions of them. Occasional nightmares without other symptoms are common occurrences requiring no treatment. Eating just prior to going to bed which raises the body's metabolism and brain activity, can cause nightmares to occur more often.