Cloudberry

The Science Behind Imagery Rehearsal

Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) is a brief, evidence-based cognitive-behavioral approach for chronic nightmares. Children rewrite scary dreams into safer, empowering stories and rehearse them before sleep. Below is a curated selection of peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines that form the direct foundation for Cloudberry.

IRT in childrenthe direct foundation for Cloudberry

PSYCHOTHERAPY · 2009

Adaptation of IRT for nightmares in children

Simard V., Nielsen T.

Foundational paper adapting the adult IRT protocol for pediatric use, including age-appropriate rescripting techniques.

BEHAVIORAL SLEEP MEDICINE · 2009

IRT for frequent nightmares in children

St-Onge M., Mercier P., De Koninck J.

Clinical trial demonstrating that IRT significantly reduces nightmare frequency in school-aged children.

SLEEP MEDICINE REVIEWS · 2025

AI: A novel approach to treating nightmare disorder

St-Onge M., Mercier P., De Koninck J.

Pioneering review on combining AI-generated imagery with IRT — the exact paradigm Cloudberry implements for families.

CLINICALTRIALS.GOV · 2023–2026

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Children With Nightmares

Pruiksma K. et al.

Ongoing RCT involving 90 children aged 6–17 years evaluating CBT and IRT efficacy for pediatric nightmare disorder.

IRT in adultsthe clinical foundation of the method

PSYCHOTHERAPY · 2009

Best practice guide for the treatment of nightmare disorder in adults

Simard V., Nielsen T.

AASM clinical guideline establishing IRT as a recommended first-line treatment for nightmare disorder.

JAMA · 2001

IRT for chronic nightmares in sexual assault survivors with PTSD: a randomized controlled trial

Krakow B. et al.

Landmark clinical trial establishing IRT efficacy for chronic nightmares and PTSD symptom reduction.

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW · 2012

A meta-analysis of imagery rehearsal for post-trauma nightmares

Casement M. D., Swanson L. M.

Meta-analysis confirming significant positive effects of IRT on nightmare frequency, sleep quality, and PTSD relief.

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW · 2013

Efficacy of psychological interventions aiming to reduce chronic nightmares: a meta-analysis

Hansen K. et al.

Comprehensive meta-analysis demonstrating robust efficacy of imagery-based techniques for chronic nightmares.

Bibliotherapy &storytelling

CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW · 2015

The effectiveness of creative bibliotherapy for internalizing, externalizing and prosocial behaviors in children

Montgomery P., Maunders K.

Systematic review showing that story-based bibliotherapy reduces anxiety and improves emotional self-regulation in children.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING STUDIES · 2024

Effect of storytelling on anxiety and fear in children

Ng Y. P. et al.

Meta-analysis demonstrating that personalized storytelling significantly reduces fear and anxiety in pediatric settings.

AI + sleep medicine

RESPIRATORY MEDICINE · 2026

Artificial intelligence and sleep medicine

Kouri I., Konstantinopoulou S.

Forward-looking review of how AI is transforming sleep medicine — from diagnostics to personalized behavioral interventions.

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