They say it’s normal for babies to get nightmares. I wonder what on Earth a baby could dream about that could be so upsetting. Sometimes it’s so bad, baby wakes up screaming and it takes a while to calm him down again. The whole time, he’ll have his eyes squeezed shut so I’m not even sure if he’s crying in his sleep or awake with his eyes closed.

Dr Greene states that “the first 6 weeks, is also the peak age of nightmares” so I guess this is all to be expected and nothing to be too concerned about. In fact, he also goes on to say that nightmares “help babies learn and grow; nightmares may even be an important reason that crying diminishes after 6 weeks”. Well, we’re still in week 5 so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if this holds true for us.

The most important thing about nightmares in pre-verbal children is to distinguish them from “ear infections, reflux, hernias, or other causes of pain”. They can be managed by your reassuring presence - holding your baby and talking soothingly can diminish the fear and sadness.

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