What is the most common nightmare that people have? According to a recent survey of 2000 adults by Amerisleep, falling is the most common, with almost two-third of respondents claiming to have had it at least once in their lives. Being chased was the second most common nightmare, followed by death, feeling lost, and feeling trapped. When looking specifically at women, their most common nightmare was a loved one passing. For men, it involved anything related to technology malfunction.