ABSTRACT
The incidence of nightmares in the general population according to representative samples is around 5". Undoubtedly, posttraumatic nightmares negatively impact sleep quality. The occurrence of nightmares in traumatized individuals is hardly surprising based on the continuity hypothesis. This chapter reviews a selection of hypotheses on the etiology of posttraumatic reenactments as well as related empirical evidence. It presents clinical case vignettes illustrating the integration of posttraumatic nightmares in psychotherapy. Therefore, the traumatic memory was worked through many times in therapy, whenever the spontaneous course of the sessions stimulated its reexperiencing or related signs of avoidance. This work was supported by anti-dissociative techniques which were first applied under the instruction of the therapist and later applied by the patient without further need of support. The chapter concludes that replicative nightmares are a paradoxical effect of posttraumatic cognitive avoidance during waking.
