Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic event (e.g., car accidents, violence, and sexual abuse). The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5™) by the American Psychiatric Association (2013) lists 27 symptoms as diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Among these symptoms, nightmares and flashbacks are considered hallmarks. The DSM-5 states that in the United States, the projected lifetime risk of PTSD based on the DSM-5 criteria at 75 years of age is 87%; its 12-month prevalence for adults in the United States is approximately 3.3%, which is relatively lower in other countries (approximately 0.5%-1.0%). Foa et al. (2009) reported that the lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 1.4% in women and 5% in men. However, it varies across countries and is affected by various cultural and environmental differences (Atwoli et al., 2015).Nightmares are typically lengthy, story-like sequences of dream-based imagery that seem real and incite anxiety, fear, or other dysphoric emotions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).Nightmares that occur after traumatic experience may replicate threatening situations. They occur almost exclusively during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (Pagel, 2000), whereas dreams occur

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