[Coping with nightmares in the General population: an online study].

The present study elicited a variety of coping strategies for nightmares in the general population and asked whether these coping strategies were helpful. A large-scale online survey (N=2 872, mean age: 43 years) was carried out. About 11.5% of the participants reported nightmares once a week or more often. The results indicate that sharing of nightmares was the most prevalent coping strategy, followed by re-writing the nightmare and reading about nightmares. Seeking professional help was rarely listed, even by persons with frequent nightmares and for the majority without benefit. The findings clearly show that there is a lot of work ahead providing adequate help for persons suffering from nightmares.