Busting the Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction About Infant Nightmares – Let’s Get Real!

Myth 1: Newborns Have Nightmares About Traumatic Births – Seriously?

This is a big one. Science does not support the idea that memories of their birth haunt newborns. While the birth process can be intense, newborns lack the cognitive ability to store and recall complex memories like that. Their brains are still developing the structures necessary for long-term memory formation. Research on infant memory suggests that episodic memory (the ability to recall specific events) doesn’t fully develop until much later in childhood.

Myth 2: Crying During Sleep Always Indicates Nightmares – Nope, There’s a Whole List of Reasons!

We’ve touched on this before, but it bears repeating. Crying during sleep can mean many things.

Here’s a quick recap of some of the most common reasons for baby crying at night:

• Hunger
• Dirty Diaper
• Need for Comfort
• Developmental Milestones
• Normal Sleep Transitions

It’s not always a nightmare causing those tears.

Myth 3: External Stimuli Directly Influence Newborn Dreams – Not So Much

While it’s true that newborns are sensitive to their environment, the idea that loud noises or daytime events directly translate into nightmares is a stretch. Their brains are still learning to filter and process sensory input. It’s unlikely that a noisy garbage truck outside would automatically trigger a scary dream in a newborn. While the exact mechanisms are still being studied, the consensus is that the internal processes of brain development play a far more significant role in shaping newborn sleep experiences than external stimuli.

Myth 4: You Should Always Wake a Crying Newborn – Hold on a Minute…

This one is tricky. While our instinct is to rush in and comfort our crying babies, sometimes waiting a few moments is better. If a baby transitions between sleep cycles, picking them up could interrupt their sleep and make it harder for them to settle back down. Of course, you should respond if the crying is intense or prolonged. A study in “Pediatrics” found that allowing infants to self-soothe for short periods can improve their sleep quality and reduce nighttime awakenings. The study’s authors emphasize that this should be done with a loving and responsive parenting approach.

Myth 5: All Newborns Sleep Through the Night – If only!

Oh, how I wish this one were true! Society, and sometimes even well-meaning relatives, can pressure new parents to have their babies sleep through the night from an early age. It is not reality. It’s perfectly normal for newborns to wake up multiple times during the night to feed. Their tiny tummies can only hold so much and need frequent feedings to fuel their rapid growth. Expecting a newborn to sleep through the night is setting yourself up for disappointment (and exhaustion!). Most babies don’t consistently sleep through the night until several months old, and some take even longer.

Myth 6: Pacifiers Cause Nightmares – Paci, Nightmare, What?!

This is simply not true. No evidence suggests that pacifier use impacts a baby’s dreams or nightmares. The American Academy of Pediatrics even suggests that offering a pacifier at bedtime and naptime can reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Pacifiers can be a soothing tool for babies, but they’re not a magic bullet for sleep and don’t cause nightmares.