Do Babies have nightmares?

My b/twin has woken up 3 times, since he was 7 months old, crying hysterically. We try to calm him down and he just cries on and on for about 5 mins. before falling back to sleep. There is no rhyme or reason that we have come up with except that maybe he is having a bad dream. Do babies have bad dreams? He is beginning to have some separation anxiety so maybe that is what he is dreaming about. Any thoughts?

 

My b/twin has woken up 3 times, since he was 7 months old, crying hysterically. We try to calm him down and he just cries on and on for about 5 mins. before falling back to sleep. There is no rhyme or reason that we have come up with except that maybe he is having a bad dream. Do babies have bad dreams? He is beginning to have some separation anxiety so maybe that is what he is dreaming about. Any thoughts?

 

babies dream even before they are born. it might be dreams or it might be having difficulty winding down. either way try to see if the night waking is related to a particularly strenuous day, lots of activities, new knowledge. if it is maybe you can add some wind-down time during the day.
hope he settles down and founds ways to self-soothe soon.

 

I think they do. Just my opinion though. Lauren does the same thing, will wake up screaming and her eyes are shut. She smiles and laughs while she is asleep, so why can't she have bad dreams too?

 

I don't know much about it but my cousin's daughter had night terrors (as the doctor called it). It is when we think they wake up cring but they really haven't woke up yet and they are between sleep and awake and that is why they are cring.

I believe my oldest daughter had this a few times. Because I would hear her cry so i would go get het as if her nap was over but she would keep on cring and i could not console her. it would last up to a half an hour or so.

Yes i believe that can have nightmares and even night terrors.

 

I don't know, but I hate the thought of it. I just hate that they would have anything to be scared of. But my Johnny has woke up like that a couple times, too. For awhile it was every night for about 3 weeks. Usually around the same time, too. Then about 2 weeks later he cut 2 teeth. Who knows....maybe it was both. I just do my best to calm him down so even if it was a nightmare, he knows Mommy is right here to protect him.

 

We've battled night terrors with Caleb since he was 2 months old. At least once a week he will wake up screaming, shaking and terrified of whatever he was dreaming about. I lay him back down and rub his back and he goes back to sleep for the rest of the night with no problems. If he keeps on waking up after that though, I know it's something more serious like an ear infection or teething pain.

Jamie