How nightmares can lead to early death – Firstpost

We’ve all had those scary nightmares that leave us jolted awake, sweating and gasping for air. Most of the time, we brush them off and continue with our day. But according to new research, these unsettling dreams might be doing more damage than we think.

A major study has revealed that people who experience nightmares on a weekly basis are three times more likely to die early than those who rarely or never have them.

And it’s not just about getting poor sleep. According to scientists, frequent nightmares may actually accelerate the body’s ageing process, affecting our health at a much deeper level.

In fact, the study described nightmares as a “stronger predictor of premature death” than well-known risk factors like smoking, obesity, poor diet, or even physical inactivity.

So what’s the connection between bad dreams, ageing, and early death? Here’s what we know.

What does the study say

To understand how nightmares might affect long-term health, researchers set out to explore the link between how often someone experiences bad dreams and the pace at which their cells age.

The study was led by Dr Abidemi Otaiku from the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College London. His team analysed data from 2,429 children aged 8 to 10 and 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86, tracking them over a span of 19 years.

Their findings were eye-opening. People who experienced bad dreams once a week or more were found to have shorter telomeres—the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. These telomeres are crucial for healthy cell division, and when they shorten, it signals faster cellular ageing.

But that wasn’t all. The research also revealed that adults with frequent nightmares were three times more likely to die before the age of 70 compared to those who rarely or never had them.

As noted in the study, which was presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress in Helsinki,
“During 18 years of follow-up, 227 premature deaths occurred. Compared with adults who had no nightmares at baseline, those who reported having weekly nightmares had a threefold risk of dying prematurely.”

The results held true across both sexes and across all ages, ethnicities, and mental health statuses.

Why do nightmares speed up ageing?

The researchers found that nightmares disrupted both the quality and duration of sleep, which in turn affects the body’s ability to repair itself at the cellular level.

When sleep is consistently broken or cut short, the body misses out on essential overnight processes that help with restoration and healing. Over time, the combination of poor sleep and chronic stress may play a major role in speeding up how fast our cells—and our bodies—age.

Otaiku explained the science behind it to The Independent, saying:
“Our sleeping brains cannot distinguish dreams from reality. That’s why nightmares often wake us up sweating, gasping for breath, and with our hearts pounding – because our fight-or-flight response has been triggered. This stress reaction can be even more intense than anything we experience while awake.”

He went on to say that these intense episodes cause prolonged spikes in cortisol, a hormone the body releases during stress, which is also closely linked to cellular ageing.

“Nightmares lead to prolonged elevations of cortisol, a stress hormone closely linked to faster cellular ageing. For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the ageing process,” he said.

Despite the worrying findings, Otaiku pointed out that there’s hope, because nightmares are treatable.

“Given how common and modifiable nightmares are, they should be taken far more seriously as a public health concern,” he said, adding that managing stress levels can help reduce their frequency and potentially limit their impact on long-term health.

Otaiku said that even simple lifestyle changes can help reduce the frequency of nightmares. These include maintaining good sleep hygiene, managing stress, getting treatment for anxiety or depression, and avoiding scary films before bed.

With input from agencies