Nightmares Every Week? Your Body Could Be Warning You

Nearly everyone experiences a nightmare now and then, but around 6% of people regularly struggle with them. These aren’t just frightening—they could also be harmful to your long-term health. New research suggests that having frequent nightmares may increase your risk of early death.

The study, presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress 2025, analysed data from nearly 2,500 children aged 8 to 10, and 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86. Researchers found that adults who reported having nightmares weekly were more than three times as likely to die prematurely—defined as before the age of 70—compared to those who rarely or never experienced nightmares.

Weekly nightmares were found to have a stronger association with premature death than well-established risk factors such as smoking, obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity.

If you deal with frequent nightmares, it’s natural to feel worried. Here’s what sleep specialists and a psychologist say you should know.

What causes nightmares?

There are a few reasons why someone may experience nightmares. “It can stem from stress and anxiety, along with depression,” says clinical psychologist Thea Gallagher. “Sometimes people have nightmares when they’re dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or post-traumatic stress symptoms.”

But other factors can be at play, says neurologist and sleep medicine physician Dr Christopher Winter. “While psychological factors probably contribute, there’s growing evidence that nightmares may also relate to neurotransmitter imbalances—such as those linked to depression—or heightened activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain involved in emotional processing,” he explains.

In some cases, nightmares can be triggered by general sleep disruptions, including sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome or noisy sleeping environments, Dr Winter adds. Gallagher also notes that substance use, eating late at night and certain medications may raise your likelihood of experiencing nightmares.

Why might nightmares raise the risk of early death?

Researchers didn’t identify a single clear reason why nightmares may increase the risk of early death, but several theories have emerged. One idea is that recurring nightmares may accelerate biological ageing—something that accounted for around 40% of the increased mortality risk, according to the researchers. The likely culprit? Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which the body releases during a nightmare. This can speed up cellular ageing, potentially raising the risk of dying early.

Sleep disruption—either caused by nightmares or contributing to them—may also play a role, especially when it occurs frequently, says Dr Winter. “The link between sleep apnoea alone and increased dreaming and nightmares could be enough to explain the findings in this study,” he notes. Nightmares may be a “marker of sleep quality or general health quality,” meaning they could signal deeper issues. Poor sleep may actually be the root cause of the nightmares—not the other way around.

Gallagher agrees. “Nightmares may reflect underlying mental health or medical conditions, which we already know can increase the risk of premature ageing and death,” she says.

Nightmares can also discourage people from getting enough sleep—another risk factor for early death. “There’s evidence that frequent nightmares place significant psychological stress on individuals,” says Dr Winter. “They may begin to avoid sleep or adopt other behaviours that harm their health.”

What to do if you’re struggling with nightmares

Because nightmares can have many underlying causes, Dr Winter recommends speaking with a healthcare provider to help identify what’s behind them.

Some medications—such as zolpidem (sold under brands like Stilnox in Australia) and varenicline (used to help people stop smoking)—are known to cause vivid dreams or nightmares. If you’re taking one of these and experiencing issues, Gallagher recommends speaking with your prescribing doctor about possible alternatives.

Cognitive therapy can also be effective, especially if nightmares are linked to trauma. “You need to process the trauma,” Gallagher says. “If you haven’t done that while awake, it may show up in your sleep as something scary.” With a psychologist’s support, this usually involves working through the trauma in a way that helps make the memories less distressing and easier to manage.

Gallagher also recommends prioritising sleep hygiene. That means going to bed and waking up at consistent times, avoiding stimulants and alcohol close to bedtime, and building a calming pre-bed routine.

Having the occasional nightmare is completely normal. But if they’re a regular occurrence and impacting your wellbeing, it’s worth seeking professional help to get to the bottom of what’s going on.