Nightmares reveal HEALTH warning signs
By: Team Ifairer | Posted: 01-04-2014
Heart It
Regular bad dreams can be linked to heart problems, says Dr Oscroft. People who have regular nightmares were three times more likely to suffer irregular heartbeat, according to a study of more than 6,000 adults, published in the Netherlands Journal of Medicine in 2003. Chest pain was seven times higher in those who reported having nightmares often.
One theory, Dr Oscroft explains, is that people with heart conditions, in particular heart failure (when the heart can't adequately pump blood to the lungs and other organs), suffer breathing problems at night.
The minimum number of hours we typically dream each night. Heart failure leads to a build-up of water in the lungs, which makes breathing more difficult, particularly at night in REM sleep. This is because most of the muscles become paralysed during this stage, to stop us acting out our dreams; but this can affect the breathing muscles. This can wake people during REM sleep, making them more likely to remember bad dreams.