Interest in Information about Nightmares in Patients with Sleep Disorders.
Michael Schredl, Lara Dehmlow, Judith Schmitt
Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine July 15, 2016 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.5928 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAbout 20% of 1,125 patients at a sleep center expressed interest in learning more about nightmare causes and treatments, including those who had never sought help before. The findings suggest that nightmares are underdiagnosed and undertreated even in specialized settings, and that health care professionals should routinely ask about nightmares and consider offering internet-based self-help programs as an initial step.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,125 |
| Population | Patients at a sleep center undergoing routine diagnostic procedures for sleep disorders |
| Keywords | Imagery rehearsal therapy Nightmare disorder |
| Key finding | About 20% of patients indicated interest in more information about nightmare etiology and therapy. |
Abstract
Despite the considerable prevalence of the nightmare disorder and its burden on the patient, nightmares are underdiagnosed and undertreated, even in sleep centers. A total of 1,125 patients in a sleep center undergoing routine diagnostic procedures for their sleep disorders completed a questionnaire about nightmares. About 20% of the sample indicated an interest in more information about nightmare etiology and nightmare therapy-even patients who had never sought professional help previously. From a clinical viewpoint, health care professionals should be encouraged to ask about nightmares and, as a first step, internet-based self-help programs should be implemented for this patient group.