Moviemaker Wes Craven has revealed his "A Nightmare on Elm Street" films were inspired by real-life events.

The horror film icon admits he read a newspaper article about a boy who was so scared of his dreams he refused to sleep - and when he finally became too tired to stay awake, he died.

The director tells USA Today, "I had read this newspaper account about a kid who was so convinced someone was trying to kill him in his dreams, he refused to go to sleep.

"One night he finally did, woke up screaming and was dead before his parents got to him.

"That got me to thinking, 'This would make the perfect movie.'"