<p>Nightmares are associated with psychopathological symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of nightmares and heterogeneity of nightmare distress and examine the association between nightmares and mental health problems with a broader sample of Chinese college students. A total of 5,824 college students were assessed in our study. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire to assess their nightmare frequency, nightmare distress, and a range of psychopathological symptoms. The results showed that 5.9% of participants reported having nightmares at least once a month in the past year, while 31.9% reported having at least one nightmare experience in the past month. Three distinct profiles of nightmare distress were identified according to their degrees. Moreover, an optimal cut-off score of 37 was established for severe nightmare distress. Ordinal regression analysis showed that the female, sophomore and junior were more likely to suffer from nightmares, whereas family income was negatively associated with nightmare frequency. In addition, the female increased the risk of nightmare distress levels, while higher family income was a protective factor for nightmare distress status. And nightmare frequency and distress were positively associated with psychopathological symptoms. These findings suggested that nightmares are prevalent among Chinese college students. Both nightmare frequency and nightmare distress are clinically significant and should be prioritized as a primary focus for intervention.</p>