What Your Nightmares Really Mean: Triple the Risk of Early De.ath and Secrets Few People Know

A recent study has revealed alarming truths about the impact of nightmares—and how we might gain control over them.

Nightmares are more than just bad dreams; they can have serious consequences for both mental and physical health. In fact, frequent nightmares may triple the risk of dying early.

Pounding heart, sweating, gasping for air—you’ve probably woken up in this state at least once in your life, maybe even within the past week. Nightmares yank you from the comfort of your bed into terrifying dreamscapes. But like many people, you might think: “They're not real, so they can't actually harm me,” right?

Wrong.

According to researchers at Imperial College London, a groundbreaking study presented at the European Academy of Neurology Conference two weeks ago uncovered deeply concerning facts about what happens during sleep. The findings show that nightmares can have such a serious impact on your health that experiencing them once a week may increase your risk of dying before age 70 by three times.

In fact, the study found that nightmares are a stronger predictor of early death than well-known risk factors such as smoking, obesity, or lack of exercise.

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The First Study to Link Nightmares with Biological Aging

This large-scale research analyzed data from over 2,400 children and 183,000 adults over a period of more than 19 years. It’s the first study of its kind to directly connect frequent nightmares with accelerated biological aging. Lead sleep researcher Dr. Abidemi Otaiku, from the UK Dementia Research Institute, emphasized that nightmares represent “a public health concern.”

With 1 in 20 people experiencing nightmares weekly—and nearly half the UK population reporting nightmares at least once a month—these findings are nothing short of alarming.

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Why Do Some People Have Nightmares More Than Others?

On a basic physiological level, all mammals, from whales to guinea pigs, experience something like dreaming—and are thus also prone to nightmares.

In humans, Dr. Justin Havens, a trauma therapist and leading nightmare specialist, explains that dreams act as a form of overnight therapy. He notes:

“Dreaming is an evolved survival mechanism. We're trying to emotionally process the experiences of the day. Nightmares occur when this system fails or gets disrupted mid-cycle—like a blown fuse during sleep.”

Professor Guy Leschziner, a neurologist and sleep medicine expert at King’s College London, adds that nightmares often evolve from emotionally distressing or traumatic dream content.

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Bottom Line

Nightmares are not just fleeting nighttime fears—they can be warning signs of deeper mental and physical health issues. Recognizing their impact may be the first step toward managing them and improving overall well-being. And with science now linking nightmares to early mortality, it’s clear they deserve more attention than we’ve given them before.