[Treatment of nightmares].

Childhood nightmares are a common phenomenon; the prevalence rates indicate that up to 5% of the children suffer from quite frequent nightmares. The etiology of nightmares is best explained by a vulnerability/stress model but one has to take cognitive avoidance as a maintaining factor into consideration. The therapeutic approach consisting of confrontation, coping and training is easily applied--even by non-professionals--and the efficacy has been demonstrated for adult nightmare sufferers.