Skip to content

The Beneficial Effects of One Treatment Session and Recording of Nightmares on Chronic Nightmare Sufferers

Edward J. Neidhardt, Barry Krakow, Robert Kellner, Dorothy R. Pathak

Sleep September 1, 1992 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/15.5.470 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Sample size 20
Population Adults with chronic nightmares (mean duration 17.2 years)
Intervention Imagery rehearsal technique
Duration One month of nightmare writing; three months follow-up
Measures Symptom Checklist, Symptom Questionnaire
Topics Dreaming
Citations 86
Key findings Nightmare frequency decreased significantly in both groups: from 7.2 to 2.0 per month (72% reduction) with imagery rehearsal and from 9.4 to 5.0 per month (47% reduction) with recording alone, with no statistically significant difference between groups. Anxiety, depression, somatization, hostility, and total distress scores decreased substantially and mostly significantly in the rehearsal group, while changes in the recording group were inconsistent and not significant.

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.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on dreaming, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Efficacy of a Cognitive‐Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia and Nightmares in Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans With PTSD Combat veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom (mean age... 2013 Randomized controlled trial n = 40
Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study Chronic nightmare sufferers 2006 Randomized controlled trial n = 23
Testing the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in lucid dreaming: A tDCS study Participants spending three consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory 2013 Randomized controlled trial n = 19
Pre-sleep treatment with galantamine stimulates lucid dreaming: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study Adults with high dream recall and an interest in lucid dreaming 2018 Randomized crossover trial n = 121
Studies with lucid dreaming as add-on therapy to Gestalt therapy Adults with nightmares (ICD-10: F51.5) at least twice a week 2015 Randomized controlled trial n = 32

Citations in the library

Cited by 37

and 32 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

Dreaming Anxiety Depression