New research suggests that frequent distressing dreams may accelerate biological ageing and increase the risk of premature death.
The findings, presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, revealed that people experiencing weekly nightmares face a significantly higher risk of early death compared to those who rarely have them.
The study found that individuals who had weekly nightmares were nearly three times more likely to die prematurely than those who experienced them less than monthly.
This association was stronger than traditional mortality risk factors, with the effect size for frequent nightmares exceeding that of current smoking, obesity and hypertension combined.
Bad dreams have been linked to various age-related conditions
GETTY
Researchers examined data from four large cohorts in the United States and the UK, encompassing more than 134,000 people.
Participants were followed for more than 19 years in the US cohorts and more than two years in the UK Biobank.
The associations were independent of medication use, including antipsychotics and antidepressants.
"The associations were independent of and stronger than traditional risk factors for ageing and mortality," said Dr Abidemi Otaiku, a neuroscientist at Imperial College London.
"These data might help to explain why nightmares in early life are linked to a high risk of neurodegeneration in later life," he added during his presentation.
Distressing dreams are common in adults, with up to 10 per cent experiencing them weekly and nearly 90 per cent having them at least once a year.
These dreams have been linked to various age-related conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, COPD, arthritis and poorer self-reported health.
"Poorer self-rated health is one of the strongest indicators of early mortality and accelerated ageing," Dr Otaiku explained.
The researchers measured biological ageing through leukocyte telomere length, with shorter telomeres indicating higher rates of cellular ageing.
Frequent nightmares correlated with shorter telomere length
GETTY
They observed a dose-dependent association, with more frequent nightmares correlating with shorter telomere length.
Organismal ageing was measured using a composite of three epigenetic clocks, showing faster epigenetic ageing in those with more distressing dreams.
"To conclude, my study showed for the first time that distressing dreams predict premature mortality and may accelerate biological ageing in the general population," Dr Otaiku stated.
The research suggests that frequent nightmares could be an important indicator of accelerated ageing processes, potentially offering new insights into age-related health risks.
