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Exercise10 minEverydayRationality

Rewrite the nightmare

Recurring nightmares can be edited while awake — one of sleep research's most surprising and best-supported methods.

The path

How it works

  1. The methodWrite
  2. The rewriteWrite
  3. The rehearsalWrite
Recurring nightmares are like a film the brain plays on repeat. The method is remarkably simple: you rewrite the script in the daytime and rehearse the new version — until the brain switches reels.

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The evidence

Why does it work?

Imagery rehearsal therapy — rewriting the nightmare while awake and rehearsing the new version daily — reduces nightmare frequency and improves sleep in randomized trials (Krakow et al. 2001) and is recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a first-line option for nightmare disorder. For PTSD-related nightmares, it is done within healthcare.

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