Definitely, it is not a good nightmare too often. While recent studies have linked the nights to a precursor symptom of Parkinson’s disease, or the arrival of an autoimmune disease, here is a new study the point. Too many regular nightmares could simply expose you to a premature death.
One nightmare per week, linked to early death
A major study conducted by researchers from the Imperial College London, indeed reveals a disturbing link between recurring nightmares, accelerated aging and premature mortality. The study presented ORS of the 2025 Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Helsinki, focused on more than 183,000 adults aged 26 to 86. These were followed for a period from 1.5 to 19 years. As well as on 2,400 children aged 8 to 10. The researchers, led by neurologist Abidemi Otaiku, analyzed not only the frequency of nightmares but also key biological markers of aging. In particular, the length of the telomeres, ends of DNA which shorten with age, and epigenetic clocks, molecular indicators of organic age.
Result :
- Adults who were raw nightmares in a weekly way had three times more likely to die before 70 years than those who rarely or never;
- Even more surprising, the frequency of nightmares turns out to be a predictive factor of premature mortality more powerful than tobacco, obesity or sedentary lifestyle;
- In children too, the effect was measurable: those reporting frequent nightmares had shorter telomeres, a sign of accelerated cell aging.
Night stress and hormonal disruption
But how can we explain that a phenomenon as banal as nightmares can have such health consequences? The answer is to be found on the side of stress. As Abidemi Otaiku explains, our brain does not distinguish a nightmare from reality. Result: a bad dream can trigger an intense physiological response, with palpitations, cold sweats and excessive secretion of cortisol, known to accelerate cellular aging.
Another aggravating factor: nightmares disrupt the quality of sleep, reducing the deep rest phases essential to cell repair. However, poor sleep is a well documented risk factor for many pathologies, including cardiovascular.
However, a nightmare from time to time, it goes. But if these invite themselves every night, difficult to find rest.
Tracks to act
Should we panic if we often do nightmares? No. But it is important to take them seriously, especially if they become frequent. Some strategies can help reduce them:
- Cognitive and behavioral therapies (TCC)effective in treating anxiety, one of the main sparklers of nightmares;
- Positive mental imaging techniquessuccessfully tested by researchers from the University of Geneva, who consist in imagining less agonizing ends for its nightmares;
- The association of a pleasant sensory stimulus (sound, smell, soft light) to a reassuring memory, allowing to reduce the intensity of frightening dreams.
In addition, avoid stressful content before sleeping (horror films, screens), and promoting a soothing sleep ritual (reading, meditation) can also help find more serene nights.
Researchers still emphasize that other pathologies or drug treatments associated with age could distort the results. Additional studies will therefore be necessary to establish a clear causal link.