Nightmares in infants?

Question

Oh my God! My son will be 8 weeks old tomorrow and he just had a nightmare or a night terror! He was laying on the bed beside me sleeping and he suddenly started screaming and crying so loud in his sleep. Out of our instinct, I grabbed him and comforted and kissed him. He just kept whimpering after he woke up. He has never screamed or cried so loudly before!
Is this normal? What could he be dreaming about that is so terrifying?

Answer

Tbh it could’ve been due to a belly pain or even a fart.

Answer

My little boy had his first night terror at around 4 months old. It was during the day and after a lot of stimulation (our family was visiting, we live away from our home country). He did the same thing your little boy did. He was sleeping peacefully when suddenly he just started to scream, still asleep, and wouldn’t stop for 10 minutes. I rocked him but knew something was up. I researched night terrors and infants do get it as well but it’s more rare apparently. Babies are also prone to night terrors when they are overly tired. Apparently they don’t remember anything the next day and it doesn’t really affect them. Well it sure as hell scares the daylights out of parents. Fast forward and he’s almost two and still gets night terrors. At one stage around 6 months old I think, he would get them almost every day due to not sleeping well during the day because he was cutting his first few teeth. Now, he will only get them after a very long, stimulating day with a nap that wasn’t restful. When he was little he wouldn’t move much just failed his arms a little and cried, now that he’s older it’s crazy! He gets up, pushes, kicks. I have to use all my strength to hold him down gently and to keep him from hurting himself or me (he’s also a big boy about 12kg already and 90cm tall). I also read that you shouldn’t wake them, so I try not to touch him more than is necessary it also agitates them more if there’s too much touching from you. For example if they’re dreaming of someone grabbing them and if you touch them it makes the nightmare more real and they become make terrified. The longest my son has had a night terror was about 20 minutes. I wish I had more solutions for you but we are also a bit clueless as to what to do other than what I’ve mentioned. There is a good book on night terrors, I forget the name now but if you would like to read it just let me know and I will send you a link.

Answer

Some babies just cry in their sleep.🤷🤷 they don't have the paralyzing agent like we do so that's why they move so much your baby was probably fast asleep when he was doing it. He's fine!

Answer

Agree with the others it was probably gas, he isn't old enough for nightmares or night terrors

Answer

Night terrors aren’t a thing until almost 18 months old.

Answer

Mine would cry suddenly when sleeping if she had a burp. Just like you said, out of nowhere a sharp scream. As soon as we’d pick her up and burp her she’d fall right asleep again.

Answer

It could just be too much at daytime for him. He's still adjusting to this world and too much visitors, noise, change of surrounding can be way too much for their little brain to progress.

Nightmares in infants?

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