Babies/Toddlers and Dreaming

[rebelmum72]

I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts / experience on how and what babies and toddlers dream?

The reason I'm asking is that my 19-month old ds, who is a really good sleeper, has woken up twice in the night in the last week, and instead of me being able to quickly rock/sing him back to sleep, he has been pretty inconsolable. He wants to be picked up, but not for comfort, he wants me to carry him from room to room as if he's looking for something (he even points) and he works himself up into a real hysterical crying fit, which he never, ever, EVER does normally!

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that he's not in any pain, as he seems to be more upset and angry than anything else, really annoyed about something.

So, I was thinking is it possible that he's having some very vivid dreams (I don't think it's nightmares as he doesn't seem to want or need comforting) which for whatever reason cause him to wake up, and he is then confused and upset at no longer being in the dream situation (I'm assuming last night it was something about tractors, as he kept making his tractor noise but didn't seem at all interested in his tractor toys), obviously not understanding that it wasn't real?
Or is that too complex a scenario for such a young child?

[nickytwooootimes]

Ds seems to have very vivid dreams. He talks in his sleep which is very sweet and has occassionally woken up looking for some object or other - "Where's the car, mummy" etc.
He is 2.3 now so can tell me exactly what he is looking for, which helps!