By Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of ONU Healthwise Pharmacy 

In 2002, Joni Mitchell announced she was leaving the music industry only to start writing again in 2006.   

On September 25, 2007, Mitchell released her 19th studio album titled Shine. The Canadian singer-songwriter became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s for her folk music. Over her career, she has branched out into many different genres such as pop, jazz fusion and rock. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

One of the songs on the Shine album was titled Bad Dreams and was inspired by something her grandson had stated. The song has a slow, haunting melody with lyrics portraying environmental issues. She uses her grandson’s quote in the lyrics, which is “bad dreams are good in the great plan.”

Are bad dreams or nightmares good in the great plan of our health?

The results of a new study were presented on April 6, 2025 at the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting. The study was completed by Dr. Otaiku who is a neuroscientist at Imperial College London.  In the study, the researcher evaluated distressing dreams, which include both bad dreams and nightmares.  

Bad dreams are defined as negative dreams that an individual remembers or recalls after they wake up. This is in direct contrast to a nightmare that causes the person to wake up due to the negative thoughts. 

Distressing dreams have been linked to certain health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, lung disease and arthritis.  In addition, individuals who have distressing dreams will self-report poor health quality. 

The frequency of distressing dreams can be related to our genetics and have been associated with certain neurologic disorders including Parkinson’s disease, cognitive decline and dementia. Certain medications can increase the risk of bad dreams. 

The risk of nightmares can increase with drugs used for depression and some Parkinson’s disease medications specifically dopamine agonists. Some beta-blockers used for blood pressure control can cross into brain tissue and increase the risk of bad dreams, specifically propranolol. Statins used for cholesterol can increase the risk of distressing dreams for some people. Nonprescription diphenhydramine (Benadryl ®) is a common culprit of bad dreams. Melatonin, a sleeping aid supplement, has evidence for causing vivid dreams and nightmares especially with higher doses.  Check with your pharmacist for more information on drug therapy and distressing dreams.  

Dr. Otaiku’s research team evaluated the impact of distressing dreams on biological age and premature death.  His team did blood tests used to identify our biological clocks and the aging of our cells.  The study included 134,000 people in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. 

After controlling for age, genetic factors and lifestyle choices, the researchers found a threefold increase in risk for premature death before the age of 70 for those individuals who had distressing dreams at least once per week. This was compared to individuals who had only 1 distressing dream per month or less. The researchers determined that distressing dreams were a bigger risk of premature death than smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure.  

Future research would have to determine if there is a benefit in providing therapy to reduce the risk or frequency of distressing dreams.  If you are one of the 10% of people who have weekly distressing dreams, consult with your healthcare professional and pharmacist to determine if options would be available to help.  

Bad dreams are not part of the greater good!  Talk to your healthcare professionals!

If you are interested in more information please contact ONU HealthWise Pharmacy at 419-722-3784. ONU HealthWise offers the shingles vaccine as well as RSV, flu, COVID-19 and other vaccinations.