Can Newborns Have Bad Dreams?

Can newborns have bad dreams? Not in any real sense. A nightmare needs memory, imagination, and a sense of self, and a newborn’s brain hasn’t built those yet. They do spend about half their sleep in REM, the stage linked to dreaming in adults, but at this age REM seems to be busy wiring the brain rather than playing out stories. So when a newborn whimpers or scrunches up their face in sleep, the cause is usually physical, such as hunger, gas, the startle reflex, or a shift between short sleep cycles. Bad dreams come later, once memory and imagination develop in the toddler years.

Trust your instincts. Most sleep crying in newborns is normal, but if your baby’s cry sounds different, won’t settle, or comes with fever, feeding trouble, or breathing changes, call your pediatrician rather than assuming it’s just a bad night.

can babies have nightmares — Can newborns have bad dreams? A furrowed brow in sleep usually means gas or a sleep-stage shift, not a nightmare.

Why Newborns Can’t Have Bad Dreams Yet

A nightmare isn’t just an unpleasant feeling during sleep. It’s a frightening scene the brain builds from memories and imagination, with a sense that something bad is happening to you. That takes three abilities a newborn doesn’t have yet, which are holding memories, picturing things that aren’t there, and a sense of being a separate person.

The part of the brain behind those abilities, the cortex, is still forming its basic connections in the first months of life. So the question of whether newborns have nightmares or bad dreams gets the same answer. Without stored memories and the ability to imagine, there’s nothing for a scary dream to be made of.

If a newborn’s sleeping brain produces anything at all, it’s likely closer to raw sensations, such as a sound, a touch, or a feeling of hunger, than a scene with a plot.

What All That REM Sleep Is For

Here’s where the confusion usually starts. Newborns spend roughly 50% of their sleep in REM, compared with about 20 to 25% for adults. Since REM is when adults dream, it seems logical that more REM means more dreaming.

At this age, though, REM appears to do a different job. It’s thought to support the brain’s rapid growth, building the connections needed for learning, senses, and memory. In newborns, this stage is often called active sleep, and it explains a lot of what parents see. Twitching, smiling, eye movements under the lids, little grunts, and fleeting frowns are all common during active sleep, and they reflect a busy, developing brain rather than dream content.

If It’s Not a Bad Dream, What Is It?

A newborn who whimpers, cries out, or fusses in their sleep is almost always reacting to something physical.

Hunger. Newborns need to feed every few hours, day and night.
Gas or tummy discomfort. Swallowed air from feeding can cause squirming and grunting.
The startle reflex. A sudden jerk of the arms, often followed by crying, is a normal reflex that fades by around 4 to 6 months.
Moving between sleep stages. Newborns cycle between active and quiet sleep about every 40 to 60 minutes, compared with roughly 90 minutes in adults, so brief stirring and fussing happen many times a night. If your baby sleeps in your room, a bedside bassinet lets you check on these stirrings without getting out of bed.

Many of these sounds settle on their own within a minute or two. For the full list of causes and when to step in, see our guide on why babies cry in their sleep. Whatever is behind the fussing, keep following safe sleep positions.

Can Babies Have Nightmares?

Yes, but not as newborns. As memory, imagination, and language develop, the building blocks for bad dreams fall into place.

When Do Babies Start Having Nightmares?

Experts don’t agree on an exact age, partly because babies can’t tell us what they dream. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital says occasional bad dreams are normal after about 6 months of age. Many sleep experts place the first true nightmares closer to age 2, when a toddler can hold onto an idea long enough for it to follow them into sleep. Nightmares then become most common in the preschool years, as imagination and fears grow.

When Do Babies Start Dreaming?

Simple dreaming may start before nightmares do, likely as loose images or feelings rather than full stories. Dreams with a plot and characters seem to develop alongside language and memory, which is why children usually can’t describe a dream until they’re 2 or older.

What Do Babies Have Nightmares About?

Before children can talk, nobody knows for sure. Once they can describe their dreams, the themes tend to match their age. Toddlers often dream about being separated from their parents, while preschoolers more often dream about monsters or the dark. A toddler who wakes up clearly frightened and reaches for you may have had a bad dream, even before they have the words to say so.

How to Comfort a Toddler After a Nightmare

A nightmare wakes a child up, and they usually want you. A few simple steps help them settle.

Go to them quickly, cuddle them, and tell them they’re safe
Offer a favorite blanket or stuffed toy
Keep the door open or a night light on if that helps
Help them settle back in their own bed
Talk about the dream during the day if they want to, not at bedtime
Keep scary shows and stories away from the bedtime routine

Nightmares vs. Night Terrors

These two get mixed up often, but they’re different.

	Nightmare	Night terror
When it happens	Later in the night, during REM sleep	Usually in the first few hours of sleep, during deep sleep
Is the child awake?	Yes, they wake up upset	No, they may scream or thrash but stay asleep
Can they be comforted?	Yes, they want you	Often not, and they may not recognize you
Do they remember it?	Often, and may describe it	No
Typical age	Toddler and preschool years onward	Most common between 3 and 7

During a night terror, don’t try to wake your child. Stay close, keep them safe from bumping into anything, and let it pass, which usually takes 10 to 20 minutes, according to MedlinePlus. Talk to your pediatrician if night terrors happen often, disrupt sleep regularly, or lead to an injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not in any true sense. The memory and imagination a nightmare needs haven’t developed yet. Crying at this age is almost always hunger, gas, the startle reflex, or a sleep-stage shift.

If they do, it’s likely simple sensations rather than a dream scene. Movements and expressions during sleep at this age reflect brain development, not a story playing out.

Usually not. Most whimpers and cries settle on their own within a minute or two. If your baby wakes fully and keeps crying, check for hunger, a wet diaper, or discomfort, and comfort them as usual.

The Bottom Line

So, can newborns have bad dreams? No, since the memory and imagination a nightmare needs aren’t built yet. What looks like a scary dream is almost always hunger, gas, the startle reflex, or a normal shift between short sleep cycles. Bad dreams appear later, possibly from the second half of the first year, and true nightmares become common in the toddler and preschool years.

This article is for general information only. Every baby is different, and it can’t replace advice from a doctor who has examined your child. If you’re worried about your baby, contact your pediatrician or emergency services right away.