Treating Nightmares with Imagery Rehearsal Therapy

It’s bad enough to have your sleep disrupted by a nightmare. It’s even worse when recurring episodes of disturbing dreams turn into a nightmare disorder.

This is a common problem for soldiers and other people who have post-traumatic stress disorder. Their dreams often replay a disturbing event in a way that seems shockingly real.

But the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that treatment can help break the cycle of recurring nightmares. This can help your sleep, and your daytime life, return to normal.

One of the most effective treatments for nightmares is “imagery rehearsal therapy.” According to the article, it is effective in more than 90 percent of people who try it.

“You train your brain to have a new set of images,” sleep researcher Anne Germain told the Post-Gazette.

Germain also said that the high blood pressure medication prazosin is another treatment option. The drug is effective at eliminating nightmares.

Get help for nightmare disorder at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

Learn more about dreams and nightmares on SleepEducation.com.

Image by Vanessa C