Common sleep problem could be linked to early death and ageing faster

People who regularly have nightmares could face a heightened risk of early death, with fresh research suggesting bad sleep may speed up the ageing process. A study reveals that people reporting weekly nightmares are more than three times as likely to pass away before reaching 70 compared to those who rarely or never have them – with accelerated biological ageing accounting for roughly 40 per cent of this increased risk.

The study's authors suggest that nightmares might be a "stronger predictor of premature death" than smoking, obesity, poor diet, and lack of physical activity. They have also connected frequent nightmares to speeded-up biological ageing.

The researchers warn that these findings should be regarded as a "public health concern". Yet they note that "simple measures" can be implemented to reduce nightmares, reports the Manchester Evening News.

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"People who have more frequent nightmares age faster and die earlier," said Abidemi Otaiku of the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College London, who headed the research team, speaking to New Scientist. The research examined data from 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86 and 2,429 children aged eight to 10 across a 19-year period.

Adults documented how frequently they suffered nightmares, whilst parents of the children recorded how often their youngsters experienced night terrors. Researchers calculated participants' biological age by measuring their telomeres – tiny DNA sequences.

Shorter telomeres are associated with premature ageing. The research revealed that nightmares disrupt both sleep quality and duration, which hampers the body's ability to restore and repair itself overnight.

According to Dr Otaiku, there are two ways in which nightmares might speed up ageing: stress and sleep disruption. Dr Otaiku said: "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." Nightmares trigger prolonged high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, according to Dr Otaiku, which has been connected to faster cellular ageing.

Sleep disruption can damage the body's crucial overnight cellular repair. It has also been connected to the risk of a number of health conditions.

"The combined effects of chronic stress and disrupted sleep likely contribute to the accelerated aging of our cells and bodies," Dr Otaiku explained, warning that nightmares should be taken "far more seriously as a public health concern".

Dr Otaiku says nightmares can be "prevented and treated" in a number of ways. "Simple measures like avoiding scary movies, maintaining good sleep hygiene, managing stress and seeking treatment for anxiety or depression can be effective," he explained, adding that sleep specialists could benefit people whose nightmares don't respond to lifestyle changes.

The study did not establish a causal relationship between nightmares and early death, indicating that further research is needed to fully comprehend the connection. Guy Leschziner at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust responded to the study in an interview with New Scientist, saying: "It's an interesting finding and there is lots of biological plausibility."

However, he noted that nightmares can be associated with a variety of medical conditions and medications linked to old age. The results of the study were presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress 2025 in Helsinki, Finland.