Dreaming is normal, even if we don’t always remember what happened while we were asleep. When you have a bad dream, chances are you’ll wake up scared during the night, which makes the situation even more disturbing. A new study suggests that recurring nightmares are worse than we thought: They could be an early symptom of dementia.
Study published in the journal Clinical medicine Researchers analyzed the nightmares of healthy people and linked them to the risk of developing dementia. That's because dreams, according to researcher Abedemi Otaiko, are a way to understand our brain health.
The study analyzed the nightmares of more than 3,000 people without dementia.
The study began in 2002, using data from three studies of health and aging in the United States. In all, there were 600 people aged 35 to 64 and 2,600 people aged 79 or older.
They had to fill out several questionnaires, including one about how often they had bad dreams and nightmares (when bad dreams make an individual wake up during the night).
None of the participants had been diagnosed with dementia when the study began. The younger group was followed for an average of nine years, and the older group for five years.
Therefore, the researcher analyzed the data obtained at the beginning of the research to understand whether patients who suffer from more nightmares are more likely to suffer from cognitive decline, which may lead to a diagnosis of dementia.
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Those who have more nightmares are more likely to develop dementia.
- According to Otaiko, in an article in ConversationMiddle-aged participants who had nightmares every week were four times more likely to develop some cognitive decline (a precursor to dementia) in the following decade;
- Older participants were twice as likely to be diagnosed;
- The research also found that the link between nightmares and early signs of dementia was more common in men than in women;
- Older men who had nightmares every week were five times more likely to develop dementia than older men who did not have nightmares.
- For women in the same age group, the risk was less than half, at 41%.
The researcher explained the relationship between dreams and dementia.
According to the researcher, the results indicate that recurring nightmares may be one of the early signs of dementia (especially in men).
He still offers two alternatives.
The first is that having bad dreams itself can be a cause of dementia (and not just an early symptom).
Another theory is that symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, both diseases that cause cognitive decline, could cause nightmares because of the changes in the brain associated with them, something that still needs to be studied. Otaiko participated in a similar study for Parkinson’s disease.
Charlotte Whitmore is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a broad range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and practical information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the UK and beyond.