Nightmares reveal HEALTH warning signs

Many women report more bizarre dreams around the menopause, adds Dr Tony Boret, a consultant gynaecologist at Spire Bushey Hospital. Up to ten years preceding the menopause, levels of female hormone oestrogen significantly drop.

'Regular nightmares, could, for example, be a sign of sleep apnoea - this causes breathing to stop temporarily as the airways become obstructed'. This affects levels of serotonin, a brain chemical associated with hot flushes, mood swings and night sweats, and can lead to sleep disruption in around 15 per cent of women, he says. This can cause excessive tiredness and more  broken sleep.

Some experts also believe premenstrual syndrome can lead to more nightmares. A 2008 study found women reported significantly more nightmares than men (30 per cent of women's most recent dreams were nightmares compared with 19 per cent of men).

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