Can Newborns Have Bad Dreams? Why Babies Cry, Twitch & Smile in Their Sleep
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Quick Answer
Newborns can cry, twitch, smile, grimace and make noises while they are asleep—but that does not necessarily mean they are having a bad dream.
Newborns spend a large portion of their sleep in active sleep, the infant form of REM sleep. During active sleep, a perfectly healthy baby may move the arms or legs, flutter the eyelids, make sucking movements, smile, frown, whimper or briefly cry while remaining asleep.
We cannot know what a newborn is experiencing subjectively during sleep, so a facial expression or brief cry cannot tell us that a baby is having a nightmare.
Most of these behaviors are normal. What matters more is whether your baby is breathing comfortably, maintains normal color, settles normally and acts normally when awake.
Key Takeaways
- Newborn sleep can be surprisingly noisy and active.
- Babies spend substantial time in active or REM sleep.
- Twitching, smiling, grimacing, sucking movements and brief cries can occur during normal sleep.
- These behaviors do not prove that a newborn is having a bad dream.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that recognizable nightmares may begin later in infancy; newborn sleep behavior should not automatically be interpreted as a nightmare.
- Breathing difficulty, blue or gray color, prolonged pauses in breathing, unusual persistent stiffness, repeated rhythmic jerking or difficulty waking a baby require medical attention.
You finally get your newborn to sleep.
Then, a few minutes later, you look over and see a completely different baby.
Their face scrunches up. Their eyelids flutter. An arm jerks. They make a little cry, frown or even appear frightened—and then, just as quickly, they settle back into peaceful sleep.
It is understandable to wonder: Was my newborn having a bad dream?
During my years caring for newborns, I heard versions of this question many times. Newborn sleep simply does not look like adult sleep. It can be noisy, restless and surprisingly expressive.
Most of the time, what parents are watching is normal newborn sleep physiology rather than evidence that something frightening is happening.
Can Newborns Have Bad Dreams?
We cannot ask a newborn what they experienced during sleep, so there is no reliable way to know whether a newborn is having a dream—or what the content of that dream might be.
What we can observe is the newborn's sleep state.
Newborns spend a substantial portion of sleep in rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. In babies this is often called active sleep.
During active sleep, babies may look remarkably busy even though they are still asleep.
The American Academy of Pediatrics describes newborn active sleep as a period when the eyes may move beneath closed eyelids, the arms or legs may twitch or jerk and breathing may become irregular.
So if your newborn briefly cries, twitches or makes a worried-looking face while asleep, a bad dream is not the only—or even the most useful—explanation.
Often, you are simply watching normal active sleep.
What Is Active Sleep in a Newborn?
Newborn sleep is organized differently from sleep in older children and adults.
One important stage is active sleep, which is related to REM sleep.
During active sleep you may notice:
- fluttering or movement beneath the eyelids
- brief smiles
- frowns or grimaces
- sucking or chewing-like mouth movements
- small noises
- whimpering
- brief cries
- twitches or jerks of the arms and legs
- changes in facial expression
- irregular breathing patterns
Then your baby may become completely quiet again without ever fully waking.
This can look dramatic on a baby monitor, especially to a new parent watching closely at night.
Why Does My Newborn Cry in Their Sleep?
A brief cry during sleep does not always mean your baby is awake, frightened or in pain.
Babies can whimper, fuss or briefly cry during lighter or active stages of sleep.
If your baby's eyes remain closed, breathing looks comfortable, color remains normal and the crying stops quickly, your baby may still be asleep.
Of course, newborns also wake because they are hungry, wet, uncomfortable, too warm or too cold, or simply need comforting.
If the crying continues or your baby clearly wakes, respond to your baby's needs.
Why Does My Newborn Smile in Their Sleep?
Sleep smiles are another behavior that parents often interpret as evidence that a baby must be dreaming about something pleasant.
It is a lovely thought—but we cannot know that from a smile alone.
Young babies can make spontaneous facial movements during active sleep, including smiles, frowns and grimaces.
These expressions are part of normal early neurologic development and do not necessarily have the same emotional meaning they would have in an awake older child or adult.
Why Does My Newborn Twitch or Jerk While Sleeping?
Brief movements of the arms, hands, legs or face can occur during normal newborn sleep.
The AAP specifically describes sudden sleep jerks and twitches as common newborn behaviors, particularly when they occur only during sleep.
Newborns also have an immature nervous system and strong primitive reflexes, including the startle—or Moro—reflex.
These can make sleep look much more physically active than parents expect.
Movements deserve closer evaluation if they are prolonged, repetitive or rhythmic, happen while your baby is awake, do not stop normally, or occur along with changes in breathing, color or responsiveness.
Is My Baby Dreaming During REM Sleep?
REM sleep is strongly associated with dreaming in older children and adults, but that does not mean we can assume that newborn REM sleep produces the same kind of dreams.
A newborn's brain is at a very different developmental stage.
Researchers can measure sleep stages, brain activity, eye movements and behavior, but they cannot ask a newborn what was experienced during sleep.
For parents, the practical message is simple:
A sleeping newborn's smile, frown, twitch or cry does not tell us what the baby is dreaming—or whether the baby is dreaming at all.
When Do Babies Start Having Nightmares?
Nightmares are frightening dreams that can cause a child to wake upset or afraid.
The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that nightmares may begin as young as about 6 months of age, although they are much more familiar and easier to recognize in older children.
That is quite different from interpreting the facial expressions and movements of a newborn during active sleep.
A newborn who briefly grimaces or cries while remaining asleep should not automatically be described as having a nightmare.
Are Bad Dreams the Same as Night Terrors?
No.
Nightmares and night terrors are different sleep phenomena.
Night terrors occur primarily in older children—especially toddlers and preschoolers—and happen during deep sleep rather than typical REM dreaming.
A child experiencing a night terror may scream, thrash, appear terrified and not recognize a parent even though the child's eyes may be open.
A newborn twitching, smiling or briefly crying during active sleep is not the typical picture of a night terror.
What Parents Can Do at Home
If your newborn makes a brief noise or movement during sleep, first look at the whole baby rather than focusing on one expression.
- Is your baby's color normal?
- Does breathing appear comfortable?
- Is the movement brief rather than prolonged and repetitive?
- Does your baby settle normally?
- Does your baby feed and behave normally when awake?
If your baby is clearly awake and crying, respond and check for normal newborn needs such as hunger, a wet diaper, temperature or comfort.
And regardless of how active your baby seems during sleep, continue following safe-sleep recommendations: place your baby on the back for sleep on a firm, flat, noninclined sleep surface designed for infant sleep, with no pillows, loose blankets, bumpers, stuffed animals or other soft objects in the sleep space.
Should I Wake My Baby If They Cry in Their Sleep?
Not necessarily.
If it is just a brief whimper or cry and your baby's eyes remain closed, your baby may still be asleep and may settle without fully waking.
You do not need to wake a comfortable sleeping newborn simply because of a brief facial expression, twitch or small sleep noise.
But newborns do need responsive care. If crying continues, your baby wakes, shows feeding cues or seems uncomfortable, check on and comfort your baby.
Parents should also follow their pediatrician's feeding instructions. Some newborns—particularly during the early days, or when there are concerns about weight gain, jaundice, prematurity or feeding—may need to be awakened for scheduled feedings.
When to Call Your Pediatrician
Talk with your pediatrician if:
- sleep movements seem increasingly frequent or unusual
- jerking or twitching also occurs while your baby is awake
- your baby is unusually difficult to wake
- feeding has changed significantly
- your baby seems unusually sleepy or less responsive when awake
- you repeatedly notice breathing patterns that concern you
- your baby has a sudden major change in normal sleep or behavior
- something about the movements simply does not look right to you
A short video of an unusual movement can sometimes be very helpful to your pediatrician, provided your baby is otherwise safe while you record it.
Seek Urgent Medical Care If
Seek urgent medical evaluation if your baby:
- turns blue, gray or unusually pale
- appears to be struggling to breathe
- has a prolonged pause in breathing
- has repeated rhythmic jerking or movements concerning for a seizure
- becomes stiff or unusually limp
- is extremely difficult to wake or does not respond normally
- has abnormal movements together with changes in breathing or color
- appears seriously ill
Those findings should not be dismissed as dreaming or normal active sleep.
Dr. G's Pearl
Newborn sleep is rarely as peaceful-looking as parents expect.
After many years of caring for newborns—including babies in the NICU—I can tell you that parents are often surprised by just how much a healthy sleeping newborn can move and how many little noises and facial expressions they can make.
A twitch, frown, smile or brief cry does not automatically mean something is wrong—or that your baby is frightened.
Watch the whole baby: breathing, color, responsiveness, feeding and how your baby behaves when awake. Those clues tell us much more than one expression during sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can newborns have bad dreams?
We cannot know what a newborn experiences subjectively during sleep. Newborns commonly twitch, grimace, smile, whimper and briefly cry during normal active or REM sleep, so these behaviors should not automatically be interpreted as a bad dream.
Why does my newborn cry in their sleep?
Brief crying or whimpering can occur during active or light sleep. If your baby's eyes remain closed, breathing and color are normal and the crying stops quickly, your baby may still be asleep.
Do newborns dream?
Newborns spend substantial time in REM-like active sleep, but researchers cannot determine the subjective content of a newborn's sleep. We therefore cannot know what—or whether—a newborn is dreaming in the way an older child or adult does.
Why does my baby smile while sleeping?
Smiling can occur spontaneously during active sleep. A sleep smile does not necessarily mean your baby is experiencing a happy dream.
Why does my newborn twitch while sleeping?
Brief twitches and jerks are common during newborn sleep. Movements that are prolonged, repetitive, occur while awake or are associated with abnormal breathing, color or responsiveness should be evaluated.
When do babies start having nightmares?
The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that nightmares may begin as young as about 6 months. They become easier to recognize as children get older and can wake and show fear or distress.
Can newborns have night terrors?
Typical night terrors are primarily seen in older children, particularly toddlers and preschoolers. Normal newborn active-sleep movements should not be confused with night terrors.
Should I wake my newborn if they are crying in their sleep?
A brief whimper or cry does not always require waking a baby who remains comfortably asleep. If crying continues, your baby wakes or appears hungry or uncomfortable, respond to your baby's needs.
The Bottom Line
Your newborn may smile, frown, twitch, jerk, suck, whimper or briefly cry while still asleep.
Those behaviors can look remarkably emotional to a parent watching from a few feet away—or through a baby monitor.
But they do not prove your baby is having a bad dream.
Much of what parents observe is consistent with normal newborn active sleep.
When you're unsure, look beyond the expression itself. Comfortable breathing, normal color, normal feeding, appropriate responsiveness and normal behavior when awake are reassuring signs.
And when something does not look right, trust that concern enough to contact your pediatrician.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Stages of Newborn Sleep. HealthyChildren.org
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Nightmares, Night Terrors & Sleepwalking in Children: How Parents Can Help. HealthyChildren.org
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Safe Sleep Recommendations. American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained. HealthyChildren.org
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