Everyone experiences nightmares at some point while sleeping. But if terrifying dreams occur frequently, it could be a worrying sign of a health problem.
According to research presented at the recent European Academy of Neurology Congress, adults who experience nightmares weekly are three times more likely to die prematurely before the age of 70 compared to those who rarely or never experience nightmares.
People who experience nightmares also show signs of faster biological aging.
Frequent nightmares can seriously affect health (Illustrative image: Istock).
Dr. Abidemi Otaiku, a neuroscientist at Imperial College London (UK) and lead author of the study, said this is measured by the length of telomeres – small DNA strands that act as markers of cellular aging – and "epigenetic clocks," molecular markers that measure the rate of aging in the body.
He discovered that weekly nightmares were a stronger predictor of premature death than smoking, obesity, poor diet, and a sedentary lifestyle.
“Currently, the scientific community still doesn’t agree on why we dream, let alone why we have nightmares. There is no universally accepted definition of a nightmare. But one definition that I think is helpful is that it’s an extremely distressing or unpleasant dream,” Dr. Otaiku told TODAY.com .
According to this expert, the sleeping brain cannot distinguish between dreams and reality, so nightmares can trigger a person's fight-or-flight response and cause a spike in cortisol, a stress hormone linked to faster cellular aging.
Nightmares and health
The physical effects of nightmares are real: a racing heart, rapid breathing, and sweating. Some people wake up crying.
"For those who frequently experience nightmares, this accumulated stress can significantly impact the aging process. Furthermore, nightmares disrupt both the quality and duration of sleep, undermining the body's essential cell repair and recovery processes at night," Dr. Otaiku noted.
This toxic combination can contribute to accelerating the aging process.
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The new study is based on data from more than 183,000 adults who reported the frequency of nightmares and were followed for 19 years. More than 2,400 children whose parents monitored their nightmare frequency were also included in the study. Children also showed faster biological aging if they experienced nightmares weekly.
What causes nightmares?
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, nightmares can be caused by traumatic events, stress, medications, excessive alcohol consumption, illness, and depression.
Eating certain foods before bed—such as cheese if the patient is lactose intolerant—may also play a role.
Research has found that the most common nightmare themes include being chased, being attacked by others, falling, and the death of loved ones. People sometimes dream of drowning or losing teeth.
Dr. Rahul Jandial, a brain surgeon and neuroscientist, added that nightmares are essentially common; everyone experiences them at some point. Nightmares that affect children often fade over time, and in adults, occasional nightmares are nothing to worry about.
"But if they occur frequently, persistently, and are new, I think that's a significant sign, like a persistent pain that won't go away. You should talk to your doctor if you're experiencing new, persistent nightmares," says Dr. Jandial.
According to him, it could be a warning sign of a physical illness such as Parkinson's or lupus.
Some scientists believe that while normal dreams are beneficial—perhaps by helping regulate emotions or solve problems—nightmares are a dysfunction of this process.
Another theory suggests that nightmares function as a kind of virtual world, where people can safely practice survival strategies to cope with threats such as being chased.
“This may have given our ancestors a survival advantage when they lived in very dangerous and harsh environments. However, overall, the modern world is far less dangerous. … And it seems to most people that the long-term losses of the nightmare outweigh any benefits they ever gained,” Dr. Otaiku said.
Otaiku said he leaned toward this view, although it remains an unanswered question.
In a previous study, he found that a higher frequency of nightmares could predict cognitive decline and dementia in middle age.
How to prevent nightmares in adults
Experts say nightmares can be prevented and treated.
Dr. Otaiku recommends measures such as:
- Avoid watching horror movies.
- Maintain good sleep habits, or practices that promote healthy sleep, such as avoiding blue light from screens before bed, not eating or drinking before bed, and lowering the bedroom temperature.
- Manage stress.
- Seek treatment for anxiety or depression.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/lien-tuc-gap-ac-mong-khi-ngu-chi-la-mo-hay-dieu-dang-lo-20250829202641512.htm
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