Nightmares Frequently Connected to Quicker Aging and Early Demise
In a groundbreaking study presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025, researchers have found a significant connection between frequent nightmares and accelerated biological aging, as well as a threefold increase in the risk of premature death.
The study, which analysed data from thousands of adults over nearly two decades, used measures such as epigenetic clocks and telomere length to assess biological aging. The findings suggest that nightmares are not just distressing psychological events, but have profound biological consequences that increase the risk of earlier death.
### How Nightmares Impact Biological Aging and Mortality Risk
The study found that nightmares activate the body's stress response, leading to elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which has been associated with faster cellular aging. Additionally, nightmares often disrupt sleep quality and duration, impairing the body's essential restorative and repair processes during sleep. This chronic stress and poor sleep likely accelerate the aging of cells and tissues.
Both adults and children who experience frequent nightmares show shorter telomeres (chromosomal end structures that shorten with age) and higher epigenetic clock readings, indicating faster molecular aging. Adults with weekly nightmares have about a 2.7 times higher risk of dying prematurely than those without nightmares. The accelerated biological aging explains roughly 39-40% of this increased mortality risk, suggesting a direct pathway from nightmare-induced stress and disrupted sleep to early death.
### Summary
The findings indicate that nightmares are not only distressing psychological events but also have profound biological consequences that increase the risk of earlier death. The research underscores the importance of recognising and treating frequent nightmares to possibly reduce their harmful impact on aging and mortality.
Adults who suffered from weekly nightmares were more than three times as likely to die before the age of 70 as those who rarely or never had nightmares. The association of frequent nightmares with faster biological aging could have significant implications for how seriously one should consider persistent nightmares.
Faster biological aging accounts for around 40% of the increased early mortality risk in adults who suffer from weekly nightmares. The link between chronic nightmares and faster aging was consistent across participants of different sexes, ages, mental health statuses, and ethnicities.
Researchers tracked the nightmare frequency of adults and children for time periods of up to 19 years. Nightmares disrupt both sleep quality and duration, impairing the body's essential overnight cellular restoration and repair. Nightmares lead to prolonged elevations of cortisol, a stress hormone closely linked to faster cellular aging. Monthly nightmares also led to faster aging and increased premature mortality compared to those who reported rare or no nightmares.
In conclusion, the study provides compelling evidence that frequent nightmares are a significant risk factor for premature death and accelerated biological aging. Recognising and addressing the underlying causes of nightmares may help reduce their harmful impact on individuals' health and longevity.
[1] Nightmares and Mortality: A 19-Year Prospective Study. European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025. [2] The Impact of Nightmares on Biological Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Sleep Research, 2024. [3] Nightmares and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2023. [4] The Role of Nightmares in Cardiovascular Disease: A Population-Based Study. Circulation, 2022.
- The study published at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025 reveals that nightmares, recurring in adults weekly, lead to a threefold increase in the risk of premature death, which is significantly linked to accelerated biological aging.
- The research, spanning nearly two decades and involving thousands of participants, found that nightmares activate the body's stress response, causing elevated cortisol levels, a known factor in faster cellular aging.
- The study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research in 2024, also showed that nightmares often disrupt sleep quality and duration, impairing essential overnight cellular restoration and repair, contributing to biological aging.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in 2023 further revealed that both adults and children with frequent nightmares show indicators of faster molecular aging, such as shorter telomeres and higher epigenetic clock readings.
- The link between chronic nightmares and faster aging was consistent across participants of different sexes, ages, mental health statuses, and ethnicities, suggesting that this association may have significant implications for health and mental-health-and-wellness in the future.
