The beneficial effects of one treatment session and recording of nightmares on chronic nightmare sufferers
Abstract
Twenty subjects with chronic nightmares for 17.2 years mean duration were randomly divided into two groups: Rehearsal and Recording. At inception, subjects in both groups were instructed to write down their nightmares for one month. The Recording group received no other intervention. Rehearsal subjects received a single treatment group session teaching an imagery rehearsal technique to reduce nightmare frequency. At inception and three months follow-up, both groups were compared for nightmare frequency and for self-rated distress with scales (Symptom Checklist and Symptom Questionnaire) measuring anxiety, depression, hostility, somatization and total distress. Nightmare frequency decreased significantly in both groups: Rehearsal group-7.2 per month to 2.0 per month (72% reduction) (p < 0.006); Recording group-9.4 per month to 5.0 per month (47% reduction) (p < 0.02). There were no statistically significant differences in the nightmare frequency reductions between groups. All anxiety, depression, somatization, hostility and total distress scores decreased substantially in the Rehearsal group. Most changes were significant. Changes in the Recording group were inconsistent and not significant. Two brief case histories are presented.
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Awareness of one's own dream contents and the possibility of altering them may be beneficial for nightmare sufferers.
“Interestingly, the idea that the awareness of our own dream contents and the possibility of altering them may be beneficial for nightmare sufferers has been proposed by earlier studies (Kellner et al., 1992; Neidhardt et al., 1992; Krakow et al., 2001).”
From The Functional Role of Dreaming in Emotional Processes (2019) · cites this paper as Neidhardt et al., 1992
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Standards of Practice Committee, Aurora, R. N., Zak, R. S., Auerbach, S. H., Casey, K. R., Chowdhuri, S., Karippot, A., Maganti, R. K., Ramar, K., Kristo, D. A., et al. (2010) · Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine · doi:10.5664/jcsm.27883 · Cited by 341 · see citing works
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“IRT is a cognitive-behavioral technique that effectively reduces chronic nightmares within 6–12 weeks of treatment (Marks, 1978; Kellner et al., 1992; Neidhardt et al., 1992; Krakow et al., 1995, 2001, 2002; Forbes et al., 2001; Germain et al., 2004).”
BackgroundResultNightmare frequency in sexual assault survivors with PTSD
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Lucid dreaming treatment for nightmares: a series of cases
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- Authors
- Neidhardt, E. J., Krakow, B. J., Kellner, R., & Pathak, D. R.
- Affiliations
- University of New Mexico (US)
- Venue
- SLEEP
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1992-09-01
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 470-3
- ISSN
- 0161-8105 (ISSN-L)
- 1550-9109
- OpenAlex
- W2439939329
- Cited by
- 86
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 2.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- SLEEP (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- nightmare frequency, imagery rehearsal therapy, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, somatization, hostility, sleep disorders
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Depression, Desensitization, Psychologic, Dreams, Female, Hostility, Humans, Imagination, Male, Middle Aged, Polysomnography
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