Do babies dream? Understanding newborn sleep cycle
What exactly goes on in your baby's brain when they're asleep? Do they really have dreams? Learn more and see what our expert doctor has to say
Have you ever watched your newborn twitch, smile, or let out a tiny sigh in their sleep and wondered — are they dreaming?
While we can’t peek inside their little minds, scientists believe that babies likely do experience something similar to dreams. Newborns spend around 50% of their sleep time in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the stage most linked to dreaming in adults. However, because their brains are still developing, their "dreams" are probably nothing like adults in terms of having a proper storyline of events.
Experts suggest that as babies grow and their brains mature — around 2 to 3 years old — they start forming proper dreams, often influenced by their daily experiences.
Granted, babies aren't able to communicate to us that they have dreams when they hit the sheets at bedtime but it is worth wondering, can babies dream and what do babies dream about exactly?
What do babies dream about?
While we can’t know for sure what’s going on in a baby’s mind as they sleep, experts believe their dreams (if they have them) are likely very different from ours.
Since newborns haven’t yet built up a bank of memories or experiences like adults, their dreams are probably made up of simple sensations like warmth, touch or familiar voices. Rather than detailed storylines or exciting adventures, a baby’s dreams might be more like gentle flashes of comfort — maybe the sound of your heartbeat, the rhythm of being rocked or the taste of milk.
As they mature and start understanding the world around them, their dreams may become more structured, reflecting the familiar faces, sounds and experiences they encounter each day.
From about 4 to 7 years old, a research study from 2015 showed that young children do dream and that they're quite vivid and have substance to them. The study reported that children within this age bracket experienced motion, movement, emotions, saw human faces (mainly family members) and animal characters.
Understanding newborn sleep patterns and stages
"Just like in older children and adults, babies have different stages of sleep. Stage 1 is drowsiness, and stage 2 is light sleep where the baby is sleeping but can startle for example, with sounds. Stage 3 is deep sleep where the baby doesn’t move much followed by REM sleep," shares our expert GP Dr Philippa Kaye.
During the REM sleep stage, you might notice flickering eyelids, tiny twitches or even smiles. These are signs that their brain is busy making new connections and processing new sensations. The other half of their sleep is non-REM which is a deeper, more restful stage where their body experiences growth and repairs.
Initially, your newborn's sleeping pattern will be irregular and unpredictable. Babies aren't able to tell between night and day in the first few weeks of their lives which explains why they wake to feed regularly around the clock. Typically at the newborn stage, they won't stay awake for longer than 30 to 45 minutes at a time.
Since their sleep cycles are shorter (around 50 minutes), newborns wake up often needing to be fed and comforted. But as they grow older, their sleep patterns mature and they have longer stretches of deep sleep — bringing you one step closer to those precious uninterrupted nights.
"While babies and adults have the same phases of sleep they spend different amounts of time in these stages and become more similar from around age 5 or so. Though, of course, adults and babies need different amounts of sleep and the amount they need changes throughout childhood," says Dr Philippa Kaye.
Being able to differentiate between day and night is a great skill for your newborn to master and will help make their sleeping patterns predictable and regular. Once your little one is familiar with this concept, and their tummy is able to digest more milk then they'll be able to have longer stretches of sleep at night. This means sleeping soundly and comfortably through the night rather than in the day.
Do babies have bad dreams?
Due to the obvious fact that babies can't communicate to us what they're seeing in their dreams, it's hard to tell for sure.
The idea of your little one having a bad dream can be heartbreaking but the good news is that newborns and young babies are unlikely to experience nightmares — at least not in the way older children and adults do.
Experts believe that since babies don’t yet have a developed imagination or an understanding of fear, their dreams (if they have them) are probably made up of simple sensations rather than full-blown story narratives.
Nightmares typically come later, around 2 to 3 years old, when toddlers begin processing emotions and experiences through dreams.
"Since babies don’t dream until about age 2, they don’t have bad dreams or nightmares. However, they can afterwards and could have other issues such as night terrors, sleep talking, sleepwalking etc," shares Dr Kaye.
So if your baby wakes up crying, it’s more likely due to hunger, discomfort or a sleep cycle transition rather than a scary dream.
At what age do babies start dreaming?
Research studies using brain imaging and sleep monitoring have shown that even in the womb, from around 25 to 28 weeks of pregnancy, babies experience sleep cycles that include REM-like activity.
However, because dreaming relies on memory, self-awareness and imagination – skills that develop over time — many scientists believe newborns’ sleep experiences are more like bursts of sensory input rather than vivid dreams.
As babies grow, their dreams will begin to take on more structured and recognisable forms as they continue to mature and start forming and recalling experiences.
Pic: Getty
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Janet is a Digital Journalist for MadeForMums and mother to a boy and girl both under 4. With a keen eye and passion for creating online media content, she enjoys sharing her own journey of motherhood, and providing encouragement for new mums.
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