If you often wake up from bad dreams, you may want to pay more attention to your brain health. A new study suggests that frequent nightmares may be a sign of impending dementia, especially for people with Parkinson’s disease.
The study, published in The Lancet, was conducted by researchers at the University of Birmingham, who analyzed data from more than 3,200 adults aged 35 to 64 and over 79. None of the participants had dementia at the start of the study, which lasted seven years.
The researchers used a questionnaire called the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to measure how often the participants had bad dreams. They also assessed their cognitive function and diagnosed them with dementia if they met the criteria.
The results showed that having more nightmares was associated with faster cognitive decline and a higher risk of dementia in both age groups. The association was stronger for people with Parkinson’s disease, who also had nightmares more often than people without the condition.
The researchers speculated that nightmares could reflect underlying brain changes that affect memory and thinking skills. They also suggested that nightmares can disrupt sleep quality, which is important for brain health.
However, they cautioned that their study did not show a causal link between nightmares and dementia, and that other factors could also influence the results. They called for more research to understand the mechanisms behind the link and explore possible interventions to prevent or treat dementia.
If you suffer from nightmares, don’t panic or assume you have dementia. Nightmares are common and can have many causes, such as stress, trauma, medication or sleep disorders.
However, it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about your sleep problems and monitor your cognitive functions regularly.
