⚠️This fact has been debunked
The 47% figure is not supported by sleep research. According to DSM-5 and multiple studies, monthly nightmare prevalence ranges from 6-30% in general adult populations, with the most commonly cited figure being around 6% for adults. Student populations show higher rates (30-55% monthly), but these are not representative of the general population. The 47% statistic appears to be unfounded or potentially conflated with different sleep disturbance metrics.
47% of people have a nightmare at least once a month.
Do Half of Us Really Have Monthly Nightmares?
You've probably heard that nearly half of all people wake up screaming at least once a month. It's the kind of statistic that gets repeated in casual conversation, cited in blog posts, and used to reassure insomniacs that they're not alone. There's just one problem: it's completely false.
According to the DSM-5 and multiple peer-reviewed sleep studies, only about 6% of adults experience nightmares at least once per month. That's a far cry from 47%. Even the most generous estimates—which include college students who tend to have higher nightmare frequency—top out around 30% for monthly nightmares, and that's in a demographic that's particularly vulnerable to stress and irregular sleep patterns.
Where Did 47% Come From?
The phantom statistic likely emerged from one of several sources: misinterpretation of research data, conflation with other sleep disturbances, or simply the telephone game of internet fact-sharing. Sleep research does show that most people will experience a nightmare at some point in their lives, but that's very different from having them monthly.
Some surveys have found higher rates when asking about "disturbing dreams" rather than clinical nightmares, or when focusing on specific populations like trauma survivors. But these nuances get lost when numbers travel across the web.
What the Real Numbers Tell Us
So what is normal when it comes to bad dreams? Here's what sleep researchers have found:
- Weekly nightmares: Affect about 5% of adults
- Monthly nightmares: Around 6% of the general adult population
- Frequent nightmares in college students: Can reach 19.5%, compared to 4.3% in older adults
- PTSD-related nightmares: Occur in 80% of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder
The data reveals something interesting: nightmare frequency peaks in our 20s and declines as we age. Children and adolescents also report higher rates, which helps explain why our memories of nightmares might feel more frequent than current reality.
When Nightmares Become a Problem
While occasional bad dreams are normal, nightmare disorder—defined as frequent, distressing nightmares that impair functioning—affects only 2-6% of adults globally. Women report nightmares more frequently than men, and people with anxiety, depression, or trauma histories are at higher risk.
The COVID-19 pandemic did cause a measurable spike in nightmare reports, with rates jumping from 6.9% in 2019 to 11% in 2021. Stress, irregular sleep schedules, and collective anxiety all contribute to more turbulent nights. But even during a global crisis, we're nowhere near half the population having monthly nightmares.
So the next time someone tells you that 47% of people have regular nightmares, you can set the record straight: most of us sleep relatively peacefully, and frequent bad dreams are the exception, not the rule. If you are experiencing persistent nightmares, though, you're not imagining it—and evidence-based treatments like imagery rehearsal therapy can help.