Can Nightmares Be Stopped? Scientists Say Yes!

A 2022 study published in Current Biology focused on 36 patients with nightmare disorder, exploring the effectiveness of two simple therapies

Imagery rehearsal therapy and TMR combined reduce nightmare frequency and severity (Representational Image: Unsplash)

Published on:

01 Dec 2024, 6:13 pm

Researchers have discovered a groundbreaking method to stop nightmares, providing hope for individuals suffering from recurring bad dreams. A 2022 study published in Current Biology focused on 36 patients with nightmare disorder, exploring the effectiveness of two simple therapies: imagery rehearsal therapy and targeted memory reactivation (TMR).

Key findings:

TMR group reported increased happier dreams.
Sustained improvement observed in three-month follow-up.
Nightmares often linked to vulnerability, especially in children.
Distinction between nightmares and night terrors highlighted.
Imagery rehearsal therapy and TMR combined reduce nightmare frequency and severity.

Imagery rehearsal therapy involves rewriting nightmares to have happier endings and rehearsing these new versions. However, this method alone isn't effective for everyone. To enhance its impact, researchers combined it with TMR, which associates positive experiences with specific sounds. Patients were played a single chord on the piano during sleep, helping their brains link the sound to the rewritten, positive narrative.

The TMR group also reported an increase in happier dreams (Representational Image: Unsplash)

The study's results are promising. The TMR group started with 2.94 weekly nightmares, dropping to 0.19 by the end. In contrast, the control group began with 2.58 nightmares per week and ended with 1.02.

The TMR group also reported an increase in happier dreams. A three-month follow-up showed sustained improvement, with the TMR group's weekly nightmares rising to 0.33, significantly lower than the control group's 1.48.

Dreams, including nightmares, occur during REM sleep (Representational Image: Unsplash)

Nightmares affect approximately 3-7% of the US population, often causing distress, anxiety, and poor sleep quality. Children between 3-6 years old are more prone to nightmares, which may be an evolutionary response to vulnerability. Dreams, including nightmares, occur during REM sleep, when brain structures in the default network are active.

Experts distinguish between nightmares and night terrors, the latter being sudden fearful reactions during transitions between sleep phases, typically forgotten the next day. Nightmares, on the other hand, are vividly recalled dreams that evoke strong emotional responses.

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