The Burrow
Apr 29, 2026
We always read about the importance of sleep, but if you’re being woken up by nightmares, it can be difficult to get enough rest. While they can seem terrifying in the moment, nightmares are a completely natural part of sleep, and they’re a common occurrence around the world. They’re often caused by underlying stress, anxiety, poor sleep quality, or overwhelming emotions.
Although nightmares are a near-universal experience for sleepers worldwide, their themes and intensity can vary regionally. The health insurance comparison experts at Compare the Market analysed search data to identify the most common nightmare themes across Australia and the US, to see which areas are most prone to disturbances at night. Read on to find out what we learned.
The results of our 2025 study can be found here.
Nightmares can manifest in a variety of forms, but there are a few themes that are especially common. These have been studied extensively in psychological research and dream interpretation. The most frequent nightmare themes that we used to inform our research are:
We used these six common themes to identify which Australian towns/cities, and which US states have the highest search volume for different types of nightmares.
While we can’t count the exact number of nightmares experienced by residents of each Australian city, we can track their online search habits to see which areas are most interested in learning the reasons behind their sleep struggles. Here are the areas with the highest search volume for the topics we researched:
With around 3,429 total nightmare searches per 100,000 residents each year, Toowoomba ranks as the Australian city with the highest search volume across the nightmare themes we studied. While some areas have a single topic that stands out, Toowoomba ranks highly across the board. It has the highest rate of searches for nightmares about teeth falling out (1,799 per 100,000), the second-highest for falling (400 per 100,000), and the fourth-highest for being lost (160 per 100,000).
Ballarat ranks second overall, with around 3,392 nightmare searches per 100,000 residents, but it leads the pack in two specific categories. The city has the highest number of searches for nightmares about being chased (608 per 100,000), as well as the highest search volume for nightmares about drowning (427 per 100,000).
In third place, Mackay experiences 3,157 searches for our most common nightmares per 100,000 residents. Smaller cities often have much higher per-capita search volumes than more densely populated urban areas, but with Mackay having Australia’s highest interest in dreams about dying (436 per 100,000), its position on our list shouldn’t be overlooked.
Another smaller Queensland city, Rockhampton, ranks fourth on our list of the most nightmare-prone cities in Australia. Rockhampton residents made 3,104 nightmare-related searches per 100,000 people over the course of our study, with its search volume for dreams about falling ranking as the highest in Australia (408 per 100,000).
Finally, in fifth place, Townsville concludes our rankings of the top five cities in Australia with the most searches for common nightmare themes. With 2,880 nightmare searches per 100,000 residents, it narrowly beats Bunbury (2,841) to earn the final spot.
As previously mentioned, smaller cities often have higher per-capita search volumes than more densely populated areas, so which major Australian cities have the most searches for common nightmare themes?
Brisbane is the highest-ranked major city in our data, with 2,324 searches per 100,000 residents. With Queensland taking up so much of our top five, it comes as no surprise that its largest city would top the rankings of major metropolitan areas.
Other large cities in Australia experience similar search volumes for nightmares, with less than 30 searches per 100,000 people separating Perth in second (2,093 per 100,000), Adelaide in third (2,080 per 100,000), and Sydney in fourth (2,077 per 100,000).
Now that we know the most nightmare-prone parts of the country, which cities are sleeping relatively soundly in comparison? These are the areas with the lowest search volume for common types of nightmares:
Newcastle’s residents don’t seem to experience as many sleep struggles as other Australian locations in our rankings, but that doesn’t mean that nightmares aren’t still a worry in the city. With just 1,428 nightmare searches per 100,000 residents, it ranks as the city with the lowest search volume for themes we explored.
Another New South Wales city, Wollongong, claims second place in our ranking of the cities with the lowest nightmare search volume. Its residents made just 1,696 searches for the most common types of nightmares across the time we measured.
The Northern Territory makes its first appearance in our list, with its largest city, Darwin, experiencing relatively low search interest in nightmares. In fact, with around 1,697 searches per 100,000 residents, it ranks just one point behind Wollongong in our data!
Australia’s capital city ranks fourth, with 1,785 searches per 100,000 residents. Although its overall scores are low, there are still particularly common themes among its residents. For example, we recorded 1,277 searches for dreams about teeth falling out per 100,000 citizens, with the theme ranking as the most common across the country.
Finally, Gold Coast concludes our tour of Australian cities that are the least affected by the most common nightmare types. We recorded 1,826 searches for the most common themes per 100,000 residents, with the city having the fewest searches for dreams about dying nationwide (57.72 per 100,000).
Let’s take a trip across the ocean and see how the US fares when it comes to the most common types of nightmares. These are the states with the most searches for the themes we explored:
Nightmares are often caused by stress and anxiety, so the fast-moving, busy lifestyle of NYC likely plays a large role in New York ranking as our most nightmare-prone US state. For every 100,000 residents, we recorded 2,237 searches for the most common nightmare types, with dreams about teeth falling out proving a particular point of worry (1,892 per 100,000, number one 1 in the US).
Nevada ranks second in our US state rankings, with 2,036 nightmare searches per 100,000 people. Despite having a much lower population than New York, it still has a high total search volume, proving that it’s not only the most populous states that experience a high volume of nightmares.
While California doesn’t dominate the rankings in any particular nightmare theme, its consistently high search volume lands it in third on our list. Overall, we analysed 1,997 nightmare searches per 100,000 Californians across our research period. Even when adjusted for population size, it has one of the highest search interests for nightmares in the US.
Similarly, Illinois is another state with a high total nightmare search volume, despite its large population, which would typically work against it. With 1,961 searches for the most common types of nightmares per 100,000 residents, it ranks highly across the board.
We conclude our top five with Massachusetts, which has 1,926 nightmare searches per 100,000 residents. Beating Rhode Island (1,899 per 100,000) and Connecticut (1,873 per 100,000) to fifth place, it shows that the Northeast is one of the more nightmare-prone regions in the US.
Not every US state has as much search interest in nightmares as our top five. These are the states that buck the trend, with the lowest search interest in bad dreams across the country:
Not only does Mississippi rank as the state with the fewest overall searches for nightmares in the US (1,077 per 100,000), but it also has the fewest searches for nightmares about teeth falling out (871 per 100,000), while being a close second-lowest in a couple of other themes as well.
Idaho has a low nightmare search volume overall, with just 1,158 queries per 100,000 residents. Its low number of searches for dreams about drowning is particularly notable, though, with just 28 cases per 100,000 people. That makes it the state with the fewest drowning nightmares in the US.
In Arkansas, we recorded just 50 cases of searches for nightmares about being chased per 100,000 people, making it the state with the lowest search interest in this type of nightmare across the US. Overall, we found 1,176 searches per 100,000 residents for the themes we studied.
While Iowa doesn’t rank the lowest in any particular nightmare type, its low search interest across the board gives it a fourth-place finish. Its total search volume of 1,224 nightmare-related queries per 100,000 residents solidifies its place in the ranking.
Finally, South Dakota’s search volume of 1,241 nightmare queries per 100,000 residents rounds out our list. As one of the least populated states in the US, it still manages to maintain a low per capita search volume, beating Montana (1,269 per 100,000) and Alabama (1,288 per 100,000).
There’s no foolproof way to stop nightmares, but psychologists suggest they’re often linked to stress, anxiety and poor sleep habits. The good news is that improving your sleep routine can help increase your chances of a restful night.
Steven Spicer, Executive General Manager of Health, Life and Energy at Compare the Market, says,“Nightmares can be a common experience for many Australians, especially during stressful times or bouts of bad sleep. While these search trends don’t tell us exactly how often these dreams occur, they do show which areas of the country are seeking answers and reassurance most.
“If nightmares or disrupted sleep are something you’re experiencing, it may be worth exploring your options for support. Some people choose to speak with a GP or mental health professional to better understand what might be affecting their sleep. Depending on your level of cover, health insurance can help cover access some of these services. Additionally, if an in-hospital or private lab sleep study is required, your health fund may help cover it, provided you have the right level of hospital cover.”
Disclaimer
This study analyses search behaviour related to nightmares to understand which dream themes are most commonly searched across different locations. Search behaviour does not necessarily indicate the actual frequency of nightmares experienced by individuals, but instead reflects online interest in understanding or interpreting specific dream experiences.
Search volumes represent Google search activity occurring within each geographic area. In some cases, locations with major travel hubs or transient populations may record higher search activity due to visitors or commuters conducting searches while passing through those areas.
Methodology
This study analysed search behaviour relating to common nightmare themes across major cities and regions in the United States and Australia.
We focused on six widely recognised nightmare themes commonly discussed in psychological research and dream interpretation literature:
Search demand was analysed across major population centres in both countries.
Search Data Collection
Data source:
DataForSEO
Search volume data was collected using the DataForSEO Google Ads API.
For each nightmare theme, we compiled a structured keyword set capturing variations such as:
Equivalent keyword patterns were constructed for all nightmare categories.
Each keyword was queried across the selected cities and regions to retrieve:
Annual search demand for each nightmare category was calculated by summing monthly search volumes across the previous 12 months.
Population Normalisation
To enable fair comparison between locations of different sizes, search volumes were normalised per 100,000 residents.
Population data was sourced from World Population Review.
Normalisation formula:
Searches per 100,000 residents
= (Total annual search volume ÷ population) × 100,000
This adjustment allows smaller cities to be compared fairly with larger metropolitan areas.
All data is accurate as of March 2026.