A new Northwestern Medicine study has demonstrated a new way to treat narcolepsy-related nightmares. The scientists combined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and lucid dreaming to help patients in a small clinical trial. We had them imagine what they'd like to dream instead of their nightmare, almost like they're writing a movie script.
" Jennifer Mundt, corresponding author, assistant professor of neurology (sleep medicine) and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine The study found overall reductions in nightmare severity and frequency in all six patients tested. The findings were published Oct. 23 in the Journal of Sleep Research.
Despite being distressing, nightmares are often ignored Vivid, disruptive and distressing nightmares affect between 30 to 40% of people with narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to regulate sleep and wakefulness. These nightmares can even cause patients to fear sleep, leading to increased fatigue and depression. Despite their frequency in narcolepsy patients, nightmares have not received enough attention in narcolepsy research or clinical practice.
"Narcolepsy-related dreams have been an overlooked symptom within narcolepsy," Mundt said. "People in the study had nightmares for decades but never received treatment, for various reasons. They may have not been asked about nightmares, didn't know nightmare treatments existed, or felt embarrassed about having ni.