15million Brits carry childhood nightmare in to adulthood

Afraid of the bogeyman? Or worry there’s someone hiding under your bed at night? You’re not alone, as an eyewatering 15 million Brits[1] have a childhood nightmare that has stayed with them as an adult.

Nearly a fifth of Brits (18%) have developed a phobia through having experienced a nightmare, with over a fifth (21%) experiencing nightmares of spiders, bugs and creepy crawlies. Although it’s not just eight-legged critters that are keeping us up at night. Almost two fifths (39%) admit to sleeping less and having more nightmares following the negativity of 2020.

The research which was conducted by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment for the launch of Little Nightmares II, found that when it comes to our recurring bad dreams, our fear of losing a loved one reigns supreme.

Over a quarter (26%) have nightmares of losing someone they loved, following by falling (25%) and being chased and not being able to run (20%).

However, after all these nightmares, Brits continue to look at the bright side of life. The research revealed that when it comes to our dreams for 2021, 28% dream of going to the pub and almost 1 in 10 (8%) are looking forward to dating once more.

Furthermore, over a third (34%) are looking forward to getting back into a normal work/ life routine, with a quarter (25%) of Brits missing the day-to-day office banter and 24% pining for face-to-face meetings and being able to see and speak to other people.

Dream Psychologist, Ian Wallace, said: “It’s not surprising that nightmares are so prevalent at the moment as people have had a lot more time on their hands to over think and are constantly surrounded by negative news. Nightmares are how we process powerful feelings such as anxiety and fear, but it’s not all doom and gloom as there are many ways to overcome this and flip it around into having positive dreams”.

When they’re not dreaming, Brits also fear their modern-day nightmares, with 27% saying losing their door keys would be a “nightmare” to them, followed by losing their mobile phone / phone battery dying (23%), losing their bank card, purse or wallet (22%) and running out of teabags / coffee (11%).