Nightmares

Nightmare Disorder is a recognized clinical diagnosis, yet many people are unaware that recurring nightmares can be treated. Beyond being frightening, chronic nightmares can disrupt sleep quality, increase bedtime anxiety, and keep the nervous system on high alert. Over time, the bed may begin to feel like something to brace against rather than a place of rest, and the effects can carry into daytime functioning.

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Some people also wonder whether their dreams “count” as nightmares because they may not feel intensely terrifying. Even when dreams do not meet the full threshold of a nightmare, unpleasant or disturbing dreams can still be deeply distressing and disruptive. I use Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT), a treatment designed to reduce the frequency and emotional intensity of nightmares and distressing dreams. In IRT, we work with the dream while awake by changing its content and rehearsing a less distressing version, helping the brain develop a new response to the dream over time.