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A new study claims frequent nightmares are a strong indicator of an increased risk of early death and accelerated biological aging. Shockingly, the researchers who conducted the study say having night terrors on a weekly basis is a stronger predictor of premature death and faster aging than even notable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, poor diet, and a lack of exercise.
The study, conducted by the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College London and presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress 2025 on Monday, analyzed data from 2,429 children 8-to-10-years-of-age and 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86, which was collected from six long-term health studies over a period of up to 19 years.
“Our sleeping brains cannot distinguish dreams from reality,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Abidemi Otaiku. “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.”
Otaiku added, according to The Independent, “Nightmares lead to prolonged elevations of cortisol, a stress hormone closely linked to faster cellular aging. For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the aging process.”
For the adults in the study, rapid biological aging accounted for roughly 40 percent of their increased risk of mortality. The researchers also reported that people who reported having nightmares on a weekly basis were more than three times as likely to die before they turned 70 than those who said they never had or rarely had nightmares.
They believe that this is a result of nightmares causing prolonged high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to faster cellular aging. A second factor is disrupted sleep, which limits the body’s overnight cellular repair processes. Both of these factors have a cumulative effect on the aging of our cells and bodies.
“Given how common and modifiable nightmares are, they should be taken far more seriously as a public health concern,” said Dr. Otaiku. “If further studies confirm the causal impact of nightmares on ageing and brain health, then preventing and treating them could become one of the simplest, most cost-effective strategies to slow ageing at a population level.”
Some ways to remedy having frequent nightmares include maintaining good sleep hygiene, managing stress, seeking treatment for anxiety or depression, and avoiding scary movies, he said.