Waking up gasping after a nightmare is a common experience — but science is revealing The consequences could be far more serious than previously thought. According to a new study, adults who have weekly nightmares are nearly three times more likely to die before the age of 75 than those who rarely have these disturbing dreams.

The research, which is still awaiting peer review, was conducted by scientists who analyzed data from more than 4 participants, aged between 26 and 74, who were followed for up to 18 years in four large population studies in the United States.

Of the participants, 227 died prematurely over the period studied. And a worrying pattern emerged: Those who reported having frequent nightmares were significantly more likely to die early — even after controlling for factors such as age, smoking, obesity, gender and mental health.

Nightmares usually occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a phase in which the brain is highly active but the body remains paralyzed. It is precisely during this stage that we dream most intensely — and, in many cases, experience emotionally charged situations.

According to researchers, recurring episodes of nocturnal stress trigger an intense release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. The problem is that if this “internal alarm” goes off night after night, it can keep the body on alert during the day, contributing to chronic inflammation, high blood pressure and premature cellular aging.

These effects are amplified when nightmares interrupt deep sleep, the essential phase for cell regeneration and the elimination of toxins from the brain. The combination of continuous stress and poor sleep quality appears to be the link between nightmares and a possible shortening of life.

The relationship between disturbing dreams and health is not new to science. Previous studies have shown that people with frequent nightmares have a higher risk of developing neurological conditions, such as dementia and Parkinson's, years before the first clinical symptoms appear.

The explanation may lie in the areas of the brain that regulate sleep and dreams, which are also affected early on by these diseases. Thus, nightmares may function as an early warning sign — an invisible marker that something is not right in the body.

About 5% of adults report having nightmares weekly, while another 12,5% ​​experience them monthly. Despite the high incidence, the good news is that effective and affordable treatments are available.

Recommended therapies include: , indicated for insomnia, and the , which teaches the patient to rewrite the ending of their nightmares while they are awake. In addition, simple care, such as keeping the room dark, quiet, airy and without screens, also helps to reduce the frequency of bad dreams.

While the results are alarming, the study does have limitations. The data are based on participants’ self-reports of their dreams, which can make it difficult to distinguish between a typical bad dream and a true nightmare. Most of the volunteers were also white and American, which may limit the global applicability of the results.

Furthermore, the biological age of the participants was measured only once. Therefore, it is not yet possible to say with certainty whether treating nightmares can effectively reverse or slow down aging.

However, the study stands out for its methodological rigor: it used different population cohorts, monitored patients for many years and was based on official death records, not self-declarations.

If future studies confirm this link between nightmares and early death, medical practice could evolve. Doctors and other health care professionals may begin to ask more frequently about their patients’ sleep patterns, including whether they report distressing dreams. After all, controlling nightmares may not only improve sleep quality, but also .

Science continues to investigate the role of dreams in human health — and it seems that they may be much more than just a manifestation of the subconscious. Soon, we may need to take nightmares as seriously as we take high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

The Conversation | Timothy Hearn, Anglia Ruskin University (UK)