Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives
Journal of Sleep Research January 29, 2019 Annika Gieselmann, Malik Ait Aoudia, Michelle Carr et al. 192 citations
Chronic nightmares arise from an interaction between elevated hyperarousal and impaired fear extinction, facilitated by trait affect distress from traumatic experiences, early childhood adversity, trait susceptibility, elevated thought suppression, and potentially sleep-disordered breathing. Treatment options target nightmare meaning, chronic repetition, or maladaptive beliefs. The paper reviews epidemiological findings, aetiology models for traumatized and non-traumatized individuals, and evidence-based interventions, noting gaps in healthcare provider knowledge and delivery. Future perspectives for nightmare treatment and aetiology research are outlined.