Research Reveals Bad Dreams Can Trigger Risk Of Young Death

JAKARTA - Research reveals that people who are often awakened by nightmares have a risk of experiencing young deaths. This research was presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025 which was held recently.

The researchers say that adults who have nightmares every week have a risk of dying before 75 years are nearly three times greater. The research was conducted by combining data from four long-term studies in the United States, involving four thousand participants aged 26 to 74 years.

Quoted from Today, on Sunday, July 6, 2025, at the start of the study, participants reported how often they had nightmares that disrupted sleep. Then 18 years later, researchers tracked down how many people died premature and the results reached 227 people.

After considering other risk factors such as age, gender, weight, mental health, to smoking, it was found that people who had nightmares every week were almost three times more at risk of dying younger.

Researchers also found that people who had nightmares turned out to be biologically older than their original age. This can happen because nightmares are closely related to rapid-eye movement (REM), when the brain is very active but the body does not move.

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"For those who often have nightmares, this cumulative stress can significantly affect the aging process," said study leader Dr. Otaiku Abidemic.

In addition, nightmares can also interfere with the quality and duration of sleep. In fact, quality sleep is needed every day so that the body can rest optimally and make cell repairs.

"Dreams also interfere with the quality and duration of sleep, damaging the recovery and essential repair of body cells overnight," he continued.

Therefore, people who often have nightmares are advised to overcome it in order to avoid premature death. Otaiku said that handling nightmares will improve sleep quality and be beneficial for physical health.

Research has shown that treating nightmares can improve sleep quality and mental health. Treating nightmares can also be beneficial for physical health," he explained.

Some of the ways to deal with nightmares are to avoid watching scary movies, keep sleep clean and avoid lighting before bed, manage stress, and consult with experts for better treatment.