Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately for those experiencing them—this particular symptom is hard to ignore (and may keep you up at night): According to research from University of Birmingham in the U.K., recurring nightmares may be an early warning sign of dementia.
Published in The Lancet's eClinicalMedicine and conducted by Dr. Abidemi Otaiku, a medical doctor and neuroscientist at Imperial College London, the study analyzed data from three large American health and aging studies.
Related: This Subtle TV Habit Could Be an Early Sign of Dementia
Similarly, older adults (ages 79+) who had weekly nightmares were twice as likely to develop dementia than participants without them.
Men who reported frequent nightmares were at a higher risk of dementia than women.
Also of note? Men seem to be at a much higher risk than women: Older men with weekly nightmares were five times more likely to develop dementia while women's risk only increased by 41%.
What Does This Mean for Me?
This research could be groundbreaking for dementia research and treatment, since weekly nightmares could serve as an early warning sign years or even decades before real dementia symptoms set in. This is especially impactful since nightmares are so common: 85% of adults have at least one nightmare a year, 8% to 29% of adults have them monthly, and 2% to 6% report weekly nightmares.
It also confirms the critical connection between sleep and brain health. Previous research had already linked poor sleep in middle age to Alzheimer's disease, and now we understand how nightmares factor into the equation. With this knowledge, individuals can proactively address sleep issues, knowing that improving sleep health and hygiene may help prevent—or at least slow—cognitive decline in the future.
Related: Doing This for Just 5 Minutes a Day Can Lower Your Dementia Risk by 41%
Sources
"Distressing dreams, cognitive decline, and risk of dementia: A prospective study of three population-based cohorts." The Lancet's eClinicalMedicineDr. Abidemi Otaiku"An Early Sign of Dementia Risk May Be Keeping You Up at Night." ScienceAlert."Correlates and Treatments of Nightmares in Adults." Sleep Medicine Clinics."Lack of sleep in middle age may increase dementia risk." National Institutes of Health. Read More Details
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