Nightmares News and Research

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Birth-related PTSD may go undiagnosed among thousands of new mothers

Tens of thousands of new mums across Britain may be suffering undiagnosed PTSD following childbirth, according to a University of East Anglia report.

27 Aug 2026

Medical cannabis compound alleviates nightmares associated with PTSD

Nightmares are among the most agonizing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – a condition that can develop after exposure to severe traumatic experiences, such as disasters, serious accidents, acts of violence, or wartime experiences. Individuals affected relive the events intensely at night, as if they were real, time and time again.

5 Aug 2026

Psilocybin trial shows striking remission rates for veterans with PTSD

The first U.S. clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy in veterans with PTSD who got no relief from conventional treatments has established that the protocol is safe, causing no serious adverse events or increases in suicidal thinking or behavior.

30 Jul 2026

Trauma-linked sleep problems affect nearly 7% of Icelandic women

A nationwide Icelandic study found that 6.9% of women aged 18-69 reported trauma-associated sleep disturbances in the past month. These symptoms were most common after sexual or physical violence, recent or repeated trauma, and were strongly linked to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and general sleep problems.

22 Jun 2026

Online friendships with strangers linked to greater adult loneliness

A first-of-its-kind study of U.S. adults suggests that all of those strangers you're friends with on social media are not helping you to feel less lonely.

8 May 2026

A new model to break the cycle of chronic nightmares in children

The DARC-NESS model targets chronic nightmares in youth, promoting confidence and coping strategies to restore healthy sleep patterns and mental well-being.

14 Apr 2026

DARC-NESS model offers insights into persistent nightmares in children

Recently published research from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Tulsa proposes a new model to explain why nightmares can persist over time in children and how therapy can be designed to break that cycle.

9 Apr 2026

Emotional pain often outweighs fear in post-traumatic stress disorder

New research is challenging the long-held view of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a fear-based disorder. In a new study, 68% of trauma-exposed individuals reported that emotional pain (guilt, shame, sadness, loss of joy) impaired their daily functioning more than fear.

4 Feb 2026

A surgical team was about to harvest this man’s organs — until his doctor intervened

Lying on top of an operating room table with his chest exposed, Larry Black Jr. was moments away from having his organs harvested when a doctor ran breathlessly into the room.

12 Sep 2025

Penn State team investigates the neural basis of nightmares and mental health

Dreams, and likely nightmares, are experienced universally across humans and animals, but neuroscientists still do not know why.

24 Jul 2025

New analysis shows stopping antidepressants rarely leads to severe symptoms

The largest review of 'gold standard' antidepressant withdrawal studies to date has identified the type and incidence of symptoms experienced by people discontinuing antidepressants, finding most people do not experience severe withdrawal.

10 Jul 2025

Is lactose intolerance secretly stealing your restful sleep?

Researchers surveyed over 1,000 university students and found that lactose intolerance, especially when accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms, is linked to more frequent nightmares and poor sleep. Only a small minority reported that food affected their dreams, highlighting a specific risk for those with food sensitivities.

1 Jul 2025

Sleep disorders predict dementia risk years before diagnosis, study shows

Researchers analyzed health records from over 1 million people in Finland, Wales, and the UK to assess the long-term impact of sleep disorders on neurodegenerative diseases. They found that diagnosed sleep disorders can predict Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia risk up to 15 years before symptoms, regardless of genetic predisposition.

28 May 2025

Silence on E. coli outbreak highlights how Trump team’s changes undermine food safety

Colton George felt sick. The 9-year-old Indiana boy told his parents his stomach hurt. He kept running to the bathroom and felt too ill to finish a basketball game.

28 May 2025

Trump turns homelessness response away from housing, toward forced treatment

President Donald Trump is vowing a new approach to getting homeless people off the streets by forcibly moving those living outside into large camps while mandating mental health and addiction treatment — an aggressive departure from the nation's leading homelessness policy, which for decades has prioritized housing as the most effective way to combat the crisis.

27 Mar 2025