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Having frequent nightmares may do more than just disturb your sleep — it could significantly shorten your life. According to new research led by Dr. Abidemi Otaiku of Imperial College London, individuals who experience nightmares at least once a week may be aging faster at a biological level and are over three times more likely to die before age 70 compared to those who rarely have bad dreams. These findings will be presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress 2025 in Helsinki.
Otaiku and his team analysed health data from over 183,000 adults aged 26 to 86, tracking them for up to 19 years. They also assessed biological ageing using telomere length and epigenetic clocks — tools that measure how quickly cells age. Alarmingly, the link between nightmares and early death was even stronger than that for known risk factors such as smoking or obesity. Among children aged 8 to 10, those with frequent nightmares also had shorter telomeres, suggesting accelerated ageing starts young.
The researchers propose two main reasons for this effect: chronic stress from nightmares may keep cortisol levels high, hastening cellular ageing; and disrupted sleep impairs the body’s ability to repair itself overnight. Fortunately, simple steps — like avoiding scary content before bed or addressing anxiety — may help reduce nightmares.
Experts like Dr. Guy Leschziner caution that while the findings are compelling, more research is needed to confirm a direct cause. Nightmares could also reflect underlying health issues or side effects of medication, especially in older adults. Nonetheless, the study opens new avenues for understanding the deeper health impacts of our sleep patterns.
