Nightmares can be one of the most distressing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that may develop after a person experiences a disaster, serious accident, violence, combat, or another severe trauma. During sleep, people with PTSD may feel as though they are living through the event again in vivid detail. These repeated episodes can cause severe sleep loss and make some people afraid to go to bed.
Available medications often provide limited relief from trauma-related nightmares. Researchers at Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin therefore examined whether a prescription drug containing THC, one of the active compounds found in cannabis, could help. The findings, published in Nature Medicine, showed that more than half of the participants responded to the treatment. More than one-third said their nightmares disappeared completely.
Why PTSD Nightmares Are So Difficult to Treat
The effects of a terrifying or life-threatening experience can continue long after the immediate danger has passed. In post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the brain has difficulty processing overwhelming events. The memories may be stored in a way that makes them return involuntarily and without conscious control.
