Baby nightmares: something all parents would love to prevent their baby from experiencing.
Unfortunately, sometimes your baby will have a nightmare. One minute they’re sleeping well, the next they wake up screaming – and that can be scary for them... and for you.
If you’ve been wondering "When do babies start having nightmares”, “Why babies have nightmares?”, and “How can you prevent baby nightmares?”, read on – we answer all these questions here.
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Can Babies Have Nightmares?
Bad dreams and nightmares are very mysterious, even in adults. To fully understand the debate of whether babies can have bad dreams, it helps to understand when nightmares happen and what part of the sleep cycle they happen in:
- REM Sleep is a deeper sleep that occurs later in our sleep cycle and helps build cognitive and learning skills. We can have nightmares during REM sleep.
- Non-REM Sleep is earlier in our sleep cycle and is when your body restores itself. It also helps to write information to memory. Nightmares do not happen during non-REM sleep.
Since nightmares happen during REM sleep, and newborns and infants have more REM sleep than adults, some researchers assume more REM sleep means more baby nightmares.
The trouble here is that newborns and young babies can’t clearly confirm nor deny whether they are having a nightmare. Therefore, the questions of can a 1-month-old have a nightmare or can babies have nightmares at 6 months are difficult to answer.
Other scientists say infants can’t have nightmares because nightmares are complex mental experiences. Their stance is that young babies are still starting to understand and process the world, and their brains are still developing, so they can’t have nightmares.
Some in this camp also note that the increased REM sleep in babies may simply be their cerebral synapses forming.
Do Newborns Have Nightmares?
We don’t know if newborns have nightmares.
Even though newborns have more REM sleep than adults – about half of their sleep is REM, while ours is closer to 25-30% REM, and nightmares happen during REM sleep, some believe this means newborns have more nightmares.
However, there is no proof as newborns can’t confirm if they are having nightmares. Also, newborns wake a lot during the night (and day) to feed, so increased wakeups can’t be confirmed to be nightmares either.
When Do Babies Have Nightmares?
Babies typically have their first nightmare between 1.5 and 2-years-old, though it is thought that some may have nightmares as early as 6 months.
When Do Baby Nightmares Peak?
When do nightmares peak in babies depends on your baby, but nightmares in babies and children typically peak between 3-5-years old.
Why Do Babies Have Nightmares?
No one understands why humans of any age have nightmares, including babies. There are, however, some theories to baby nightmares.
One theory is that your baby’s brain has developed enough that they’re able to process larger quantities of information. Since they’re new to this world, that information can be confused or confusing. Nightmares are therefore your baby’s way of making sense of the world and processing things that frighten them.
A related school of thought believes that babies are also learning about fear at this point, which can conjure scary dreams.
What Do Babies Have Nightmares About?
No one’s certain what babies have nightmares about – and, since everyone’s nightmares and dreams are different, the possibilities are endless.
If your baby is old enough to express themselves or explain their nightmare, ask them for some insights. That way you can dispel their fears – and learn a lot about your baby in the process.
Should I Wake My Baby from a Nightmare?
If your baby is having a nightmare and is screaming and crying in their sleep, you can wake from them. Once you wake your baby from a nightmare, you should sit with them and offer reassurance until they’re calm. If they’re terrified, of course you can hold them and cuddle them for a bit. If your baby is old enough and can remember their nightmare, discuss it with them explain that it was only a bad dream and cannot hurt them.
While you can wake your baby from a nightmare, it’s recommended that you do not wake your baby if they’re having a night terror.
You can distinguish if your baby is having a nightmare or a night terror because in a night terror, your baby will appear to be awake. While a nightmare is a bad dream while sleeping, a night terror is a semi-conscious state in which your baby seems awake and is screaming or crying but is not awake – nor are they in pain. Nightmares happen later in the night and night terrors usually happen closer to when your baby goes to sleep.
Waking your baby up from a night terror may lead to confusion that makes it harder for them to settle back down. Instead, you can offer them verbal support and ensure their safety, as they often will settle themselves.
How Do I Stop My Baby’s Nightmares?
We can’t guarantee your baby will stop having nightmares all together, but we do know the following tips can help prevent nightmares in babies or reduce nightmares in babies:
Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedules: Maintaining an age-appropriate sleep schedule is one of the best and easiest ways to stop your baby from having nightmares. (Get help finding the best sleep schedule for your baby here.)
- Create a Calming Bedtime Routines: In addition to helping cue your baby that it’s time for bed, calming bedtime routines alleviate any stress or anxiety your baby may feel from their day.
- Choose Your Nighttime Books Carefully: “Hansel and Gretel” is a classic fairytale – but it’s also filled with parental death, abandonment, sinister witches, and murder… Literally the stuff of child and baby nightmares. So, you know, not the best story before a baby’s bedtime. Same with so many other fairytales… In other words, be sure to read stories that are light, humorous, and fun before bed.
- Talk It Out: If age appropriate, asking your baby about their nightmare will help you a) understand what may be scaring them; and b) provide an opportunity to explain that nightmares are just bad dreams. They’re just in your baby’s imagination and cannot hurt them.
- Ensure Domestic Stability: Screaming, arguing, or abusive situations can cause babies anxiety and trauma that can manifest in nightmares. If you and your partner or a family member are arguing, keep the conversation civil and quiet when the children are around.
It’s completely normal for your baby to have a nightmare from time to time – even a few times a week. If your baby has nightmares every night, it may be time to consult your pediatrician.
Final Thoughts
While nightmares can be upsetting (and disruptive) for both babies and parents, they are normal parts of a baby’s development. Even though it’s hard to stop nightmares from happening entirely, there are ways to mitigate the frequency of nightmares in infants.
By ensuring your baby has a consistent bedtime routine and optimized sleep schedule, isn’t exposed to too many situations that can cause their fear or imagination to turn into a nightmare, and understands that past nightmares aren’t “real”, you may be well on your way to preventing your baby from having more nightmares.
