How do I stop having nightmares about traumatic events?
Trauma & Grief
Trauma nightmares are your brain's attempt to process difficult experiences - therapy approaches like EMDR and imagery rehearsal can help reduce their frequency.
Nightmares related to traumatic events are one of the most distressing symptoms of Post-traumatic Psychological stress disorder and can significantly impact your sleep problems quality and overall well-being. These nightmares often involve reliving the traumatic event or variations of it, and can leave you feeling anxious, depressed, or afraid to go to sleep. Your brain is attempting to process and make sense of the traumatic experience, but sometimes gets stuck in repetitive, distressing patterns. Several therapeutic approaches can help reduce Psychological trauma nightmares. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain process traumatic memories more effectively, often leading to a reduction in nightmares. Imagery Rehearsal Psychotherapy involves changing the ending of recurring nightmares while awake, which can help reduce their frequency and intensity. Cognitive Processing Psychotherapy helps you work through the thoughts and beliefs related to your Psychological trauma that may be fueling the nightmares. Some medications can also help reduce nightmare frequency. In the meantime, practicing good sleep hygiene, creating a calming bedtime routine, and using anxious feelings/what-is-grounding-and-how-to-use-it" class="internal-link">5-4-3-2-1 techniques when you wake from nightmares can help. Keep a light on or comforting object nearby to help you reorient to safety when you wake up. Remember that nightmares are a normal response to Psychological trauma recovery and with proper treatment, they typically decrease over time.