Trauma survivors often report suffering from dreams that reference traumatic incidents. The re-occurrence of trauma memories during sleep has long-term negative ramifications and emotional impact among survivors. If providers are knowledgeable about techniques to address recurrent nightmares, then they are more likely to effectively facilitate appropriate interventions to decrease nightmares, enhance sleep, and improve overall functioning. The goal of this session is to educate practitioners about interventions that can improve the quality of sleep for their patients struggling with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder by using medication and psychotherapy. Through their respective clinical experience, the presenters will share practical methods to assess and treat one of the most distressing symptoms of traumatic stress: recurrent, traumatically-based nightmares.
