Do babies have nightmares?

Although they may occasionally give their parents nightmares, babies probably don't experience them themselves.


Asked by: Michelle Bailey, Derby

It’s impossible to know for sure, because babies can’t tell us! But given the cognitive abilities of babies, experts believe that they do not experience nightmares. Instead, a baby may wake up crying if they’re hungry or uncomfortable.

They can occasionally appear confused or fearful when aroused from deep sleep. Nightmares typically occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and are more common later on when the child has developed a richer understanding of the world.

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