Imagery rehearsal therapy for frequent nightmares in children.

Imagery rehearsal therapy reduced nightmare frequency in children aged 9 to 11 with frequent primary nightmares. Twenty children without PTSD were randomly assigned to treatment or a waiting list. The treated group showed a significant decrease in nightmare frequency compared to the waiting-list group, and this reduction lasted over a 9-month follow-up. Effects on distress after nightmares could not be measured due to few nightmares, and overall nightmare distress was not significantly reduced. The therapy appears promising for reducing nightmare occurrence, though further research is needed to confirm its effect on distress.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study examined the applicability of imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) to children with frequent nightmares. Eleven boys and 9 girls aged 9 to 11, with moderate to severe primary nightmares (1 or more per week for 6 months) and without posttraumatic stress disorder, were randomly divided into an imagery rehearsal treatment group (n = 9) or a waiting-list (n = 11) group. ANCOVA with repeated measures revealed that, following a baseline period, IRT reduced the frequency of nightmares (p < .04; eta(2) = 0.22) in the treated group compared to the waiting-list group. This reduction was maintained over a 9-month follow-up. The effects of IRT on post-nightmare state distress could not be assessed due to low nightmare incidences. However, retrospective trait nightmare distress was not significantly reduced. Future research is needed to validate this simple approach for nightmare reduction and to evaluate its potential for the reduction of the associated nightmare distress.