What do babies dream about

Dreams before words? Babies and circadian rhythms. The takeaway. Parenthood Baby 06 Months. Bassinet vs. Crib: How to Decide. Read this next. What Causes Laughing While Asleep? Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph. Sleep Disorders in Children. Medically reviewed by Mia Armstrong, MD. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R. In the s, as the journalist Alice Robb explains in her forthcoming book Why We Dream , the psychologist David Foulkes theorized that children seldom remember their dreams before age 9.

Foulkes continued his research into pediatric dreaming over the decades and in his book on the topic concluded that humans are dreamless in their first few years of life. Even then, he argued, the dreams tend to be static and one-dimensional, with no characters and little emotion. REM sleep is when most dreaming occurs for humans.

During this phase, the body becomes immobile and breathing and heart rate become irregular. According to Kelly Bulkeley, a psychologist of religion who studies dreams , REM sleep is also believed to help people consolidate their memories and mentally digest them, though sometimes in strange and seemingly illogical ways.

Research dating back to the s on the purpose of REM sleep for babies in particular has found that it supports brain development, helping infants to convert their experiences and observations during conscious hours into lasting memories and skills. Baby sleep Do babies dream? A sleep doctor and paediatric sleep consultant answer all of your questions about baby dreams. Photo: iStockphoto. What do researchers think about babies and dreams?

What do babies dream about? Why is my baby smiling, laughing, sucking or twitching in their sleep? Is my baby having a nightmare if they cry out in their sleep or twitch their whole body? Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes.