NOVEMBER 2002, VOLUME 30, NUMBER 2, Abstract 1
A Review of Hypnosis in the Treatment of Parasomnias: Nightmare, Sleepwaling, and Sleep Terror Disorders
Gerard A. Kennedy, Victoria University
Hypnosis was used to treat patients with the primary parasomnias: nightmare, sleepwalking, and sleep terror disorders. The results for the patient with nightmare disorder suggested that the effective element in decreasing the frequency of nightmares was the specific hypnotic suggestion to alter the nightmare content. The generalised effects of increased relaxation and improved sleep also contributed to therapeutic efficacy. Two other patients, with sleepwalking and sleep terror disorders, were also treated. In both the cases the effective element in decreasing the frequency of these parasomnias appeared to be the generalised effects of hypnosis. The data support the observations of other authors who have suggested the general lowering of tonic levels due to the anxiolytic effects of relaxation employed during hypnosis is responsible for reducing the incidence of these disorders. In conclusion, hypnosis is a relatively simple, non-invasive, inexpensive, and effective means of treating nightmare, sleepwalking, and sleep terror disorders.