A new study presented at the European Academy of Neurology’s (EAN) annual meeting, has shown that people who have frequent nightmares appear to have a tripled risk of premature death.

The lead researcher, Dr. Abidemi Otaiku, a neuroscientist at the Imperial College London in the U.K presented the study at the 2025 EAN meeting, which is the 11th Congress that took place in Helsinki, Finland, from June 21 to 24.

According to the researchers, those folks who have frequent nightmares also show signs of significantly accelerated biological ageing, with their bodies reflecting wear and tear greater than what their birth date might reflect.

This is likely due to the stress that nightmares can place on a sleeping body, reported the ‘Newsmaxhealth’. “Our sleeping brains cannot distinguish dreams from reality,” Otaiku said in a news release.

“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,” he explained. “This stress reaction can be even more intense than anything we experience while awake.”