Why nightmares could make you age faster and die sooner
Frequent nightmares are linked to premature ageing and increase the risk of an early death, according to a new study.
Adults who report weekly nightmares are more than three times likely to die before the age of 70 compared to those who rarely or never experience them, researchers found.
The study found nightmares to be a "stronger predictor of premature death" than smoking, obesity, poor diet, and low physical activity.
The scientists warned the findings should be treated as a "public health concern", but said people can reduce nightmares by managing stress.
The team, led by Dr Abidemi Otaiku of the UK Dementia Research Institute, and Imperial College London, analysed data from 2,429 children aged eight to 10 and 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86 over a period of 19 years.
The research, presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress this month, found that nightmares disrupt both sleep quality and duration, which impairs the body's overnight cellular restoration and repair ability.
The combined impacts of chronic stress and disrupted sleep are likely to contribute to the accelerated ageing of our cells and bodies.
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."
He said: "Nightmares lead to prolonged elevations of cortisol, a stress hormone closely linked to faster cellular ageing. For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the ageing process."
He added: "Given how common and modifiable nightmares are, they should be taken far more seriously as a public health concern."
Researchers found that children and adults who had frequent nightmares also exhibited faster ageing. This accounted for approximately 40 per cent of those who had a higher risk of early death.
Dr Otaiku said this was the first study to show nightmares can predict faster biological ageing and earlier mortality, even after accounting for other health issues.
Even monthly nightmares were linked to faster ageing and increased mortality compared to those who had no nightmares. and the links were consistent across all ages, sexes, ethnicities, and mental health statuses.
"The good news is that nightmares can be prevented and treated," said Dr Otaiku.
Simple measures, such as maintaining good sleep hygiene, managing stress, seeking treatment for anxiety or depression and not watching scary films can be effective in reducing nightmares, he said.
The Independent
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
9 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Why nightmares could make you age faster and die sooner
Frequent nightmares are linked to premature ageing and increase the risk of an early death, according to a new study. Adults who report weekly nightmares are more than three times likely to die before the age of 70 compared to those who rarely or never experience them, researchers found. The study found nightmares to be a "stronger predictor of premature death" than smoking, obesity, poor diet, and low physical activity. The scientists warned the findings should be treated as a "public health concern", but said people can reduce nightmares by managing stress. The team, led by Dr Abidemi Otaiku of the UK Dementia Research Institute, and Imperial College London, analysed data from 2,429 children aged eight to 10 and 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86 over a period of 19 years. The research, presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress this month, found that nightmares disrupt both sleep quality and duration, which impairs the body's overnight cellular restoration and repair ability. The combined impacts of chronic stress and disrupted sleep are likely to contribute to the accelerated ageing of our cells and bodies. 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." He said: "Nightmares lead to prolonged elevations of cortisol, a stress hormone closely linked to faster cellular ageing. For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the ageing process." He added: "Given how common and modifiable nightmares are, they should be taken far more seriously as a public health concern." Researchers found that children and adults who had frequent nightmares also exhibited faster ageing. This accounted for approximately 40 per cent of those who had a higher risk of early death. Dr Otaiku said this was the first study to show nightmares can predict faster biological ageing and earlier mortality, even after accounting for other health issues. Even monthly nightmares were linked to faster ageing and increased mortality compared to those who had no nightmares. and the links were consistent across all ages, sexes, ethnicities, and mental health statuses. "The good news is that nightmares can be prevented and treated," said Dr Otaiku. Simple measures, such as maintaining good sleep hygiene, managing stress, seeking treatment for anxiety or depression and not watching scary films can be effective in reducing nightmares, he said. The Independent
Gulf Today
9 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Favourite meals can change your behaviour
The good news? There's a simple switch that could make a huge difference – and you won't even taste it. Experts like GP Dr Sarah Jarvis and dietitians Nichola Ludlam-Raine and Azmina Govindji are championing potassium-enriched, lower-sodium salts such as LoSalt as a no-fuss alternative to regular table salt. You use it exactly the same way – in cooking, baking, or at the table – but with significantly less sodium, and a dash more health benefits. As Dr Jarvis puts it, this isn't just about cutting sodium, but increasing potassium too, which helps lower blood pressure. Behaviour change doesn't have to mean self-denial or chucking out your favourite meals. It starts with small, smart swaps: tasting before you sprinkle, switching your salt shaker and learning to spot hidden sodium in everyday foods. And yes, there are plenty of delicious dishes that can help retrain your palate without feeling like a compromise. To prove the point, we've rounded up a flavour-packed recipe that is full of colour, texture and spice – and low in salt. Thai prawn noodle soup Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 8 minutes Ingredients: 2 very low salt organic vegetable stock cubes 1 lemongrass stalk, halved and thinly sliced 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced 2 heads pak choi, shredded (300g) 100g wholewheat noodles 150g raw king prawns ½ x 28g pack coriander, leaves only 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp LoSalt Method: 1. Place the stock cubes and 800ml boiling water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the lemongrass, chilli, white parts of the pak choi and noodles and simmer gently, covered for 5 minutes. 2. Add the green parts of the pak choi, king prawns, coriander, fish sauce and LoSalt, cook for 1-2 minutes until the prawns are pink and cooked through. 3. Serve in 2 soup bowls. Cooks tip: Try using egg noodles or folded rice noodles and replace the prawns with roasted shredded chicken The Independent
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
US lawmakers introduce bill to bar Chinese AI in US government agencies
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday planned to introduce a bill in both houses of Congress that would bar U.S. executive agencies from using artificial intelligence models developed in China, including those from DeepSeek. The introduction of the bill, dubbed the "No Adversarial AI Act," comes after Reuters reported that a senior U.S. official has concluded that DeepSeek is aiding China's military and intelligence operations and has had access to "large volumes" of Nvidia's chips. DeepSeek shook the technology world in January with claims that it had developed an AI model that rivaled those from U.S. firms such as ChatGPT creator OpenAI at much lower cost. Since then, some U.S. companies and government agencies have banned the use of DeepSeek over data security concerns, and President Donald Trump's administration has mulled banning its use on U.S. government devices. The bill introduced Wednesday into the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who is the ranking member on the committee, would create a permanent framework for barring the use of all Chinese AI models from U.S. executive agencies, as well as those from Russia, Iran and North Korea. The bill would require the Federal Acquisition Security Council to create a list of AI models developed in those countries and regularly update it. Federal agencies would not be able to buy or use those AI technologies without an exemption, such as for carrying out research, from the U.S. Congress or the Office of Management and Budget. The law also contains a provision that can be used to get technologies off the list with proof that they are not controlled or influenced by a foreign adversary of the U.S. "The U.S. must draw a hard line: hostile AI systems have no business operating inside our government," Moolenaar said in a statement. "This legislation creates a permanent firewall to keep adversary AI out of our most sensitive networks - where the cost of compromise is simply too high." Also co-sponsoring the bill in the House are Representative Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, and Representative Darin LaHood, an Illinois Republication. In the U.S. Senate, the bill will be led by Senators Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, and Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat.
