Sleep · Nightmares
Imagery Rehearsal (Nightmare) Worksheet
IRT for chronic and PTSD nightmares
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) is a first-line treatment for chronic nightmares, including PTSD-related nightmares. You rewrite the nightmare while awake and rehearse the new version daily.
The recurring nightmare
Brief description — do not need every detail
Rewrite
Change any element — the ending, an object, a helper, the outcome. The new version does not have to be happy; it has to be different.
The new version, in as much detail as feels doable
Daily rehearsal
Read or imagine the new version 5–10 minutes daily, not at bedtime
You are not reliving it
IRT does not require exposure to the trauma. It rewrites the imagery your brain has been rehearsing on its own.