[Practice guide for the management of nightmare disorders]

Practice guide for The management of nightmare Disorders Nightmares are a common parasomnia that occurs mainly During rem sleep (paradoxical sleep) and at all ages. Recurrent nightmares, also known as nightmare disorder, Are considered a clinical entity and cause significant Suffering. Other parasomnias presenting dysphoric dreams Or fragments of dreams are to be distinguished from Nightmares and their management is different: they are Mainly night terror, hallucinations related to sleep and Rem sleep behavior disorder. Nightmares can be idiopathic Or comorbid; they are more common in the context Of stress or trauma and in people with high levels of Anxiety. The clinical assessment primarily looks for psychopathology, But also for another sleep disorder that can Promote the onset of nightmares (narcolepsy, obstructive Sleep apnea syndrome) and an iatrogenic or toxic origin; Rarely nocturnal epilepsy is involved. The treatment of Recurrent nightmares is primarily psychotherapeutic, and The imagery rehearsal therapy (irt) is recommended for Its effectiveness for both idiopathic nightmares and those Related to post-traumatic stress disorder.