Latest news with #Otaiku
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Some dreams can actually kill and are linked to higher early death risk than smoking, says study
Nightmares might feel like harmless disturbances, but a new study has revealed they could have serious consequences for health and longevity. Researchers from the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College London have found that adults who experience nightmares weekly are more than three times as likely to die before the age of 70, compared to those who rarely have them. The study, presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress 2025, analysed data from over 183,000 adults aged 26 to 86, and 2,429 children aged between eight and 10. Adult participants reported how often they experienced nightmares, and the researchers tracked their health over a period of up to 19 years. For children, nightmare frequency was reported by parents. Link Between Nightmares and Accelerated Aging One of the study's key findings was that regular nightmares were not just linked to disturbed sleep but also to signs of faster biological aging . Researchers measured telomere length—protective structures at the ends of chromosomes that shorten as we age—as well as molecular aging markers called epigenetic clocks. Both children and adults with more frequent nightmares showed signs of accelerated cellular aging. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn About Solar Work Opportunities in Canada and the UK LocalPlan Search Now Undo Dr Abidemi Otaiku, who led the study, explained that nightmares trigger the body's stress response. Since the brain cannot differentiate dreams from real-life events, these experiences activate the fight-or-flight system, often waking individuals with physical symptoms like sweating and a racing heart. This stress leads to elevated cortisol levels, a hormone associated with aging at the cellular level. Otaiku noted that this cumulative stress—alongside the disruption of sleep quality and duration—may be a major contributor to faster aging and premature death. In fact, nightmare frequency proved to be a stronger predictor of early mortality than widely acknowledged risk factors such as obesity, smoking, poor diet, or lack of exercise. Nightmares as a Public Health Concern The findings applied across all age groups, genders, ethnic backgrounds, and mental health conditions, suggesting a widespread effect. Notably, even monthly nightmares were associated with increased risk, reinforcing the idea that even occasional sleep disturbances could have long-term health impacts. The study also tracked 227 premature deaths during the follow-up period and found that people reporting weekly nightmares at the start were significantly more likely to be among those who died early. Can Nightmares Be Prevented? Despite the alarming results, experts stress that nightmares are treatable. According to Otaiku, managing stress and improving sleep hygiene can reduce the frequency of bad dreams. Avoiding disturbing media before bed, addressing anxiety or depression, and seeking help from sleep specialists are all recommended. Psychological treatments like image rehearsal therapy, where individuals consciously reimagine their nightmares with more positive outcomes, have shown success and can even be practiced at home. Given how common nightmares are and the significant health risks they pose, the researchers emphasised the need to take them seriously—not just as sleep disturbances, but as potential contributors to chronic stress and early death.
Vancouver Sun
26-06-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Why bad dreams could be aging and prematurely killing you
Nightmares can literally scare the life out of people, new research suggests. Frequent unpleasant dreams and nightmares are being linked with accelerated biological aging and an untimely death. According to a British team, people who experience weekly distressing dreams are three times more likely to die before they reach age 70 than people who rarely or never report experiencing nightmares. Researchers said the finding held even after they accounted for smoking, obesity, unhealthy diets and other risk factors for an early death. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The study can't prove causation — that nightmares are premature killers. However, one theory implicates the stress hormone cortisol. Higher levels of cortisol are associated with shorter telomeres, tiny caps at the end of chromosomes, like the tip of a shoelace. Telomeres get shorter every time a cell divides, and shorter telomeres are considered a sign of accelerated aging of the body's cells. Cortisol is present at high levels during nightmares. 'For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the aging process,' the study's lead author, Dr. Abidemi Otaiku, of the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College London, said in a statement released this week. What's more, nightmares mess with how well and how long people sleep, 'impairing the body's essential overnight cellular restoration and repair,' Otaiku said. 'The combined effects of chronic stress and disrupted sleep likely contribute to the accelerated aging of our cells and bodies.' Nightmares are common, Otaiku reported in earlier work linking nightmares with an i ncreased risk of dementia and cognitive decline in middle-aged adults. About five percent of adults experience nightmares weekly, and up to 40 percent monthly, percentages that are likely even higher if bad dreams are thrown in, he said. Considering how common a phenomenon nightmares are, 'it is surprising that their clinical significance remains largely unknown,' he wrote. In the latest study, presented this week at the European Academy of Neurology Congress in Helsinki, Otaiku and colleagues analyzed pooled data from 2,429 children aged eight to 10, and 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86 from six cohort studies following large groups of people over time. Adults reported how often they had nightmares at the start of the study, and were followed for up to 19 years. For kids, nightmare frequency was reported by parents. According to a release, adults reporting weekly nightmares were three times as likely to die prematurely than people who rarely or never experienced distressing dreams. 'Children and adults with more frequent nightmares also exhibited faster biological aging, which accounted for approximately 40 percent of the heightened mortality risk' among adults, according to the release. Even people who reported monthly nightmares showed signs of faster aging and a higher mortality, 'Our sleeping brains cannot distinguish dreams from reality,' Otaiku said. '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 more intense than anything we experience while awake.' While it's all enough to lose sleep over, more research is needed to confirm the associations. Hormones are just one factor in accelerated cellular aging. In the meantime, nightmares are less likely if people avoid scary movies, manage stress and seek help for symptoms of anxiety or depression, Otaiku said. Stress can drive unpleasant dreams, University of Montreal psychologist and sleep scientist Antonio Zadra told National Post last year as part of a special series on sleep. But dreams also 'tend to embody our current concerns and preoccupations and much of what is on our minds is often negatively toned.' Worries 'get replayed in our dreams in metaphorical and disjointed ways, and the emotions underlying them get amplified,' Zadra said. Strategies to distract negative thoughts can help calm people down, he and other said, like reading a book or slowing breathing, which soothes the fight-or-flight response. National Post Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
26-06-2025
- Health
- Edmonton Journal
Why bad dreams could be aging and prematurely killing you
Article content Nightmares can literally scare the life out of people, new research suggests. Frequent unpleasant dreams and nightmares are being linked with accelerated biological aging and an untimely death. Article content According to a British team, people who experience weekly distressing dreams are three times more likely to die before they reach age 70 than people who rarely or never report experiencing nightmares. Article content Researchers said the finding held even after they accounted for smoking, obesity, unhealthy diets and other risk factors for an early death. The study can't prove causation — that nightmares are premature killers. However, one theory implicates the stress hormone cortisol. Higher levels of cortisol are associated with shorter telomeres, tiny caps at the end of chromosomes, like the tip of a shoelace. Telomeres get shorter every time a cell divides, and shorter telomeres are considered a sign of accelerated aging of the body's cells. Cortisol is present at high levels during nightmares. 'For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the aging process,' the study's lead author, Dr. Abidemi Otaiku, of the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College London, said in a statement released this week. Article content What's more, nightmares mess with how well and how long people sleep, 'impairing the body's essential overnight cellular restoration and repair,' Otaiku said. 'The combined effects of chronic stress and disrupted sleep likely contribute to the accelerated aging of our cells and bodies.' Nightmares are common, Otaiku reported in earlier work linking nightmares with an i ncreased risk of dementia and cognitive decline in middle-aged adults. About five percent of adults experience nightmares weekly, and up to 40 percent monthly, percentages that are likely even higher if bad dreams are thrown in, he said. Considering how common a phenomenon nightmares are, 'it is surprising that their clinical significance remains largely unknown,' he wrote. In the latest study, presented this week at the European Academy of Neurology Congress in Helsinki, Otaiku and colleagues analyzed pooled data from 2,429 children aged eight to 10, and 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86 from six cohort studies following large groups of people over time. Article content Adults reported how often they had nightmares at the start of the study, and were followed for up to 19 years. For kids, nightmare frequency was reported by parents. According to a release, adults reporting weekly nightmares were three times as likely to die prematurely than people who rarely or never experienced distressing dreams. 'Children and adults with more frequent nightmares also exhibited faster biological aging, which accounted for approximately 40 percent of the heightened mortality risk' among adults, according to the release. Even people who reported monthly nightmares showed signs of faster aging and a higher mortality, 'Our sleeping brains cannot distinguish dreams from reality,' Otaiku said. '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. Latest National Stories
Gulf Today
26-06-2025
- Health
- 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
Daily Mirror
24-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Having the same weekly night incident 'triple risk of dying early'
Experts saying the problem is a 'stronger predictor of premature death' than smoking A scientist has warned that experiencing nightmares on a weekly basis could potentially accelerate the ageing process and even triple the risk of premature death. The study found that individuals who report having nightmares weekly are over three times more likely to die before reaching 70, compared to those who rarely or never have them. Alarmingly for those with poor sleep patterns, the research identified nightmares as a "stronger predictor of premature death" than factors such as smoking, obesity, poor diet, and low physical activity. The research team, led by Dr Abidemi Otaiku from the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College London, scrutinised data from 2,429 children aged between eight and ten, and 183,012 adults aged between 26 and 86, over a span of 19 years. They discovered that those reporting weekly nightmares were over three times more likely to die before hitting 70, compared to those who claimed they seldom or never experienced nightmares. Dr Otaiku stated: "Individuals who experience more frequent nightmares age faster and die earlier." According to Otaiku, there's a clear link, with his team also finding that the frequency of nightmares is a stronger predictor of early death than smoking, obesity, poor diet or lack of physical activity. These findings were presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress 2025 in Helsinki, Finland, on 23 June. The combined effects of chronic stress and disrupted sleep are believed to contribute to the accelerated ageing of our cells and bodies. Dr Otaiku explained, "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." The research team also examined the biological age of participants by measuring the length of telomeres, which are tiny DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten each time a cell divides, a process linked to premature ageing. The study involved about 2,400 children aged between 8 and 10, with parents reporting on the frequency of their children's nightmares. Adults in the study underwent an additional biological age assessment using molecular markers known as epigenetic clocks. Otaiku found a consistent link between frequent nightmares and accelerated ageing across all ages, genders, and ethnic backgrounds. "Even in childhood, people who have more frequent nightmares have short telomeres, indicating faster cellular ageing," he revealed. For the adults, the rapid biological ageing accounted for roughly 40 per cent of their increased risk of mortality. As for the reasons behind this connection, Otaiku suggests it might be down to two factors. One theory he proposes is that nightmares may trigger sustained high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which is known to cause quicker cellular ageing. READ MORE: Early sign of dementia and Alzheimer's that can appear while you're on holiday "Nightmares often wake us with our hearts pounding, in a stress reaction more intense than anything we experience when awake," he elaborated. The second factor is sleep disruption, which can interfere with the body's nocturnal cellular repair processes. Such sleep disturbances have been associated with an increased risk of numerous health problems, including heart disease. A feature titled 'Insomnia' delves into the topic of melatonin, noting that while millions rely on it to fall asleep, combat jet lag, and adapt to shift work, emerging evidence suggests we might not fully comprehend this hormone or how best to use it. Dr Otaiku suggested that if people are eager to dodge recurring nightmares, there are usually simple solutions which may involve avoiding horror films and addressing mental health issues such as anxiety. He stated that basic steps like maintaining good sleep hygiene, managing stress, seeking treatment for anxiety or depression, and refraining from watching frightening films can be effective in curbing nightmares.
