Possible New Therapeutic Contributions on Nightmares.

Introduction: Several studies indicate a close relationship between nightmares and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Patients who have experienced traumatic events often report repetitive nightmares and abrupt awakenings during sleep, as well as symptoms of persistent anxiety, hyper-vigilance, flashbacks, hallucinations, and phobias. Since nightmares involve fragments of traumatic memory and threat responses to survival or safety, they can also be considered "distressing dreams." Nightmares bring distress and often forgotten traumatic memories. This work intends to discuss the procedures of EMDR and Hypnosis, which can shed light on dreams and nightmares and how they can contribute to the well-being of patients suffering from this disorder. Method: Literature review on the use of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Hypnosis techniques in the treatment of symptoms of PTSD disorders. The search for scientific publications carried out on PubMed/NLM and Health and Psychology Virtual Library (VHL/Bireme/OPAS and VHL Psi Brazil). Results: EMDR and Hypnotherapy can facilitate to access memories of traumatic experiences contained in the dreamlike material of recurrent nightmares, as they help to release of repressed emotions along with the memory of the event that generated them, promoting psychic changes. Both therapies are used to access neural information stored in the mind-body system, promoting quality of sleep and life. Conclusion: Although sleep disorders are frequently reported in clinical practice, they are often overlooked and considered secondary symptoms of PTSD, rarely evaluated. Despite dreams and nightmares being considered as independent clinical phenomena, there are few investigations addressing their treatment, and there is limited research on new therapeutic contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]