Frequent Nightmares Tied to Early Death

Nightmares may do more than disrupt your sleep—they could be linked to a higher risk of early death, according to new research connecting frequent bad dreams with accelerated cellular aging. Researchers from Imperial College London tracked over 183,000 adults and 2,400 children for up to 19 years, asking how often they experienced bad dreams, per the Times of London. Adults with weekly nightmares had a threefold risk of dying before age 70 compared to those with fewer nightmares, according to findings presented Monday at the European Academy of Neurology Congress in Helsinki.

Those who reported weekly nightmares were found to have shorter telomeres—structures at the end of chromosomes tied to the aging process. Shorter telomeres are associated with faster cellular aging. The study's lead author, Abidemi Otaiku, noted that even in children, frequent nightmares correlated with shorter telomeres. He suggested that the stress response triggered by nightmares, similar to the fight-or-flight response during the day, may contribute to faster aging. The release of stress hormones like cortisol and disrupted sleep could also be factors, though nightmares could also be a symptom of other underlying conditions or side effects of medication, per New Scientist. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)