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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

When do babies dream??

16 replies

melsy · 29/02/2004 20:29

My 5.5month dd has had little cries during the night only lasting a short few minutes. I wondered if she has started to dream and is a little frightened by it??.
I dont want to go in her room and disturb as she alway falls straight to sleep.

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Evita · 29/02/2004 20:37

This is a v. good question, melsy, I've been wondering about this for ages and meaning to do some research on it at work. I think I've read in the past that they don't have much of an 'unconscious' as we know it until 18 months - 2 years but that they can get feelings of anxiety in their sleep long before then. My dd has often done little cries in her sleep. Sometimes now she's older (17 months) she really lets rip a piercing scream but when I have gone to check on her she's actually fast asleep.

Is this your first child?

Original poster

melsy · 29/02/2004 20:38

Yes she is my first. She is also fast asleep when I have checked in on her.

It must be in a book I have somewere, or even on the net if I do a search may be.

OP posts:

Evita · 29/02/2004 20:46

I think it's a bit of a mystery what happens in their heads when they sleep. But I'm pretty sure they don't dream like we dream until they're quite a lot older, something to do with not having enough synapses connecting yet. I think it's more physiological things that affect them at this age, for instance if they've gone to sleep in your arms then almost wake and realise they're not being held any more. Makes them anxious.

suedonim · 29/02/2004 21:53

I don't know when they start to dream as we think of dreams, but my babies have cried when asleep. Spookily, my youngest used to laugh when she was sleeping, even before she could smile. It was quite un-nerving to be woken in the middle of the night, I really didn't like it at all.

Evita · 01/03/2004 09:16

suedonim, dd used to laugh too, also before she smiled! Freaky ...

aloha · 01/03/2004 09:49

As I understand it, they spend most of their time in the womb dreaming. What they dream about though is a mystery that will never be revealed. Newborn babies spend nearly all of their sleep time dreaming - much more than adults.

aloha · 01/03/2004 09:51

Babies And Dreams

In a study on babies and dreaming, it was learned that babies spend about 66% or their sleeping time in the REM state. That is quite a bit of dreaming, considering that the average adult spends 15-20% of their sleep time in the dreaming stage. Dream researchers believe that there is a correlation between REM sleep and brain development. Moreover, premature babies spend up to 80% of their sleep in the REM state. As babies become more mature, their REM sleep decreases. Dropping to 50% in the full term baby and down to 35% in a one year old. This finding is believed that REM sleep is important in the mental development of the baby. Dreaming may be seen as a way of "exercising" the mind and stimulating it. As they get older, they will be able get mental stimulation from their surroundings and outside environment. As we get older and older, our REM sleep will reduce down to 15%.

suedonim · 01/03/2004 11:12

Evita! You're the only other person I know whose baby has laughed like that! Everyone looked at me as if I was mad when I mentioned it. Maybe laughing is an inbuilt mechanism, and not a learned behaviour. It is indeed freaky, really odd, though.

Evita · 01/03/2004 20:27

suedonim, you're the only person I've met whose baby giggled like that too. At first dp didn't believe me, but then it happened when he was awake and we both lay in bed not knowing whether to laugh or be chilled to the bone. It really is odd hearing that little chuckle from a 4 week old ...

Clarinet60 · 04/03/2004 17:13

Fascinating Aloha.
It would be marvellous to know about those uterine dreams.

tamum · 04/03/2004 17:17

Not strictly relevant as it's so late, but one of my favourite memories of dd as a toddler was waking her up when she was about 20 months and she rubbed here eyes and said "oh, I was just whizzing around in my little pink helicopter" I would love to have seen what was going on inside her head!

hana · 04/03/2004 18:05

not relevant either.....but dd (2.5) woke up from a nap the other day and said 'Nemo was chasing me!'

I'd LOVE to know what she dreams about!

aloha · 04/03/2004 18:14

My friend's two year old woke up looking upset and saying "But I don't want to eat the crunchy ladybirds.."

mummytojames · 05/03/2004 01:10

i think there is a reason why we dont know what a baby dreams about and im happy not to know expcialy when my ds opens his eyes while still asleep and gives me one of the most dirtyest looks going thencloses them again i definatley knows hes still sleeping because he snores

Evita · 05/03/2004 09:36

Gosh, mumtojames, you're up early. Or late.

Maybe we can only really find out what or if they dream when they're old enough to tell us what it's about. Apparently I was very affected by Star Trek as a kid and was regularly heard in my sleep scratching the headboard of my bed and saying 'beam me up Scotty' over and over again. Hmmm ...

He never did beam me up.

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