All parents sooner or later wonder: do newborn babies have dreams? Indeed, how can one explain the fact that babies smile or frown in their sleep? What exactly affects a baby's sleep? And if possible, how can you make your child’s sleep calmer and dreams brighter? All these issues are dealt with by such a branch of medicine as child psychiatry.
Sleep characteristics of infants
Children's “quiet hour” in the first weeks of life tends to last almost the whole day. Those 4 hours allotted for feeding and changing diapers are actually the only period when a small child does not sleep. The REM sleep phase in babies aged 6 months lasts about a quarter of the time of the same phase in adults. This is due to the fact that by this period the child’s brain is rapidly developing.
There is an opinion that up to six months the baby “revises” the information laid down before his birth.
During REM sleep, the baby actively waves its arms and legs, and its facial expression may change. He also often clenches his fists or even turns a little. This phase does not last long, because after it the baby wakes up to eat. In this case, you should reduce the brightness of the lighting in the room where he sleeps. This also applies to loud sounds, because they can scare a small child.
When it comes to deep sleep, scientists are divided. Some believe that this is the phase during which the baby grows and develops, others that his body, on the contrary, completely relaxes. Each of these beliefs has confirmation, because both are true.
Do children have dreams?
Modern scientific research confirms that the baby, while still in the mother’s womb, develops dreams along with the development of the visual organs. There is a theory that babies' dreams are a manifestation of genetic memory. With the development of the child’s psyche, the source of his dreams is the world around him, saturated with information and causing strong impressions.
Dream scenarios also become more complex: at the age of two to three years, children observe some actions in their dreams, but do not participate in them themselves. Their dreams, as a rule, consist of separate episodes that are not connected by a common storyline. And after five years, children find themselves in epi. This is due to the fact that at a more conscious age the child begins to recognize himself as an individual, he actively uses his imagination and shows creative inclinations. Being a kind of mosaic made up of elements of the day's impressions and memory images, sleep becomes a natural way to overcome stress and anxiety, since it allows you to emotionally “live” suppressed feelings. Dreams can become a useful source of information about a child - his hidden phobias, desires, well-being and even illnesses, so parents should be interested in their content.
What do infants’ dreams depend on?
Since the child is closely connected with his mother, his dreams directly depend on her mood. If she is in a good mood, then the baby’s dreams will be beautiful and pleasant. But if she is irritated or tired, then the baby will feel it too.
An infant's sleep can be affected by both environment and diet. So, if conversations in a raised voice are constantly heard in the house, there is no appropriate care for him and there is too bright lighting, then the child will be very anxious. And, on the contrary, when everything is quiet, and the mother sings a lullaby in the twilight, then the baby will sleep calmly and peacefully.
It is worth remembering that sleep directly affects the harmonious development of the nervous system. Therefore, if the baby does not sleep well, you need to remove everything that disturbs him. But if this problem does not disappear, it is strongly recommended to contact a qualified specialist, as this may be due to abnormalities in the development of the main brain.
Babies' dreams also depend on mother's milk . There is a myth that breastfed babies sleep better than those fed formula. It all depends on how full the child falls asleep. After all, both the first and the second may not be enough, and the baby will simply be malnourished.
The meaning of children's dreams
Dreams with a positive plot, for example, about a walk through a flower meadow and meeting kind fairy-tale characters, speak of a positive and stable emotional background of the child. Some dreams may emphasize certain qualities of the baby, for example, a dream where he was in the role of captain of a ship speaks of him as a natural leader. However, children's dreams are not always so rosy.
According to statistics, 30% of children have disturbing dreams. They may be recycled "stuff" associated with an experience, such as a cartoon or television show. Until the age of seven, a child has nightmares several times more often than in subsequent adult life. This is due to the special sensitivity of the child’s psyche, which is characterized by the immediate experience of a strong impression. Therefore, if your baby once had a nightmare, you don’t have to worry too much. It’s another matter if he has nightmares regularly.
What do newborns dream about?
Scientists have concluded that newborns really do have dreams.
Babies often gesticulate in their sleep, change their facial expressions and often smack their lips, “savoring” their mother’s breasts in their sleep. During this period, their brain receives a lot of information from the environment. Therefore, at such an early age it is worth spending as much time as possible with your child outside. Let him listen to all the sounds around him. This will only contribute to its harmonious development.
Newborn babies dream of those whom they observe in their room while they are awake. But their memory is still very short-term. Therefore, they quickly forget those whom they rarely see. This is the reason why babies cry when they are held in the arms of distant relatives whom they have seen once in their lives. They are simply strangers to them, because previous memories have already been erased.
One should not lose sight of the fact that children absorb a lot of information from their mother’s milk. If the latter adheres to a strict diet and does not indulge in excess, then babies will only have good dreams. Psychiatrists believe that children begin to have nightmares only from the second year of life. This is explained by the fact that at this age children’s psyche begins to develop faster.
Also, during feeding, the internal state of his mother is transmitted to the child. If something bothers her, then so will the child and, accordingly, his sleep. To avoid this, before feeding you should forget about everything except your baby.
Scary dreams as a consequence of illness or family troubles
Often nightmares in sleep are the result of some hidden somatic diseases. Ask your child if he has a headache or tummy ache, and take his temperature. However, disturbing dreams can have not only physiological, but also psychological reasons. Sometimes nightmares become a reflection of a dysfunctional situation in the family. The baby, on a subconscious level, “reads” the increased anxiety of the parents and sensitively perceives conflicts in the house. Dreams can allegorically reflect these inner experiences. Uninvited “guests” in a baby’s dream - negative characters from fairy tales and cartoons, for example, Baba Yaga, the Wolf or Koschey, speak of a violation of the child’s mental integrity, a lack of psychological protection and a feeling of hostility from the “adult world”.
Children often dream of negative characters who appear to them in their dreams under the guise of good heroes, and in the end the child discovers this with horror. Such a dream may mean that parents do not keep their promises and choose formalism as a manner of communication. At the level of the child’s psyche, this dream can be interpreted as follows: while trying to seem “good,” the parents are not really that way. A child’s lack of a sense of security, caused by frequent conflicts in the family, can manifest itself in a dream in the form of images of a destroyed house. Thus, nightmares directly indicate to parents the negative emotional state of the child. What to do in this case?
If you dream about a girl
If you see a girl in a dream, expect strong emotional upheavals in reality. It can be both sadness and joy, which you do not experience every day. An unexpected meeting with old friends, devastating news, and many other reasons can cause this reaction, so be careful what you do.
The girl itself does not have a negative meaning when interpreting a dream, but there may be details indicating that something bad awaits you .
- If a girl cries, this may be a sign that in the future you will suffer the consequences of a quarrel or conflict that happened in the past. Although it seemed to you that the situation was already over, the person was still offended. You will have to solve this problem so that it does not grow even bigger.
- Additional indications of what exactly will happen will be the surrounding objects and the general atmosphere of the dream. Pay attention to the weather - if clouds are gathering over you, then you may do something stupid.
As in the case of a sick boy, a daughter’s illness in a dream will mean that in reality she will definitely be healthy. But if you dream of unfamiliar girls entering your house, this means that unwanted guests will come to you. By kicking out a girl in a dream, you, however, bring upon yourself minor misfortunes, so it is not known which of these plots is better.
A long, interesting conversation with a girl will definitely be a favorable sign: this sign predicts good luck and an improvement in your financial situation.
Several children
Like all dreams associated with children, this plot is rather positive. Many small children running around you, fussing and happily playing something, portend worries that will tire you, but ultimately lead to pleasant results. Do not be afraid of difficulties, because they are only a small step on the path to victory.
If you yourself enter the game in a dream, then in reality you are trying to find the job of your life, but so far you have not been very successful. While you are looking for a new workplace, you will have to spend some more time at the old one.
Often we dream of not many children, but only two, moreover, of opposite sexes, and in such cases we want to find out why we dream about children - a boy and a girl. If these are other people's children, then everything in your life will be fine and prosperity awaits you in everything. Expect happy moments and good luck in all areas of life .
Why does a boy dream?
Seeing a small attractive boy in a dream, a girl can be sure that she will soon meet a young man who will be important to her. He won’t necessarily become a lover or friend, but he will definitely influence her destiny.
Another common meaning of this dream is financial gain. You will receive money that you have been owed for a long time, your salary will suddenly be raised, or one of your friends will give you a large sum - well-being can come to you in different ways. If you have been planning to repay a debt to someone for a long time and still haven’t repaid it, then now is the time to do it. While nothing indicates the emergence of financial problems, take advantage of this chance - the second time this may not happen soon.
A dream about a boy will be interpreted differently depending on what exactly he was doing in your dream.
- Your own son fell ill in a dream - in reality, on the contrary, he will have excellent health.
- An angry boy who offends your child - betrayal awaits you from people whom you considered friends.
- Crying boy - your finances will be in a dangerous state, it's time to cut down on spending.
- Boys who play with each other - you will find yourself in a strange situation where others will think better of you than you really are, but this will not help you, but rather will hinder you.
- The death of a boy under the wheels of a car - in reality you worry too much about your family members. However, in reality they are not in danger, and you should work with your fear, which is reflected in your dreams.
