Are you wondering what goes on in the mind of your little dreamer each night? While most parents wish their kids "sweet dreams" after tucking them in, few ever stop to think about what that means. The science surrounding children and dreams is fascinating. What's more, learning about what happens when kids dream actually highlights the importance of sleep health from the earliest ages.
If you're wondering why your child is suffering from nightmares or disrupted sleep, understanding the brain-sleep connection in kids is even more crucial. Here's a peek inside the nighttime mind of the young.
Why Do Kids Dream?
Children dream for all the same reasons that adults dream. While researchers are still digging into the mechanisms and functions behind dreaming in general, the most agreed-upon idea is that dreaming probably has protective mechanisms for our brains. Based on current theories, dreaming likely supports the brain by:
- Consolidating memories - Allows us to declutter all of the information we've taken in from the day by deciding which experiences to keep or toss out.
- Processing emotions - Helps us process emotions.
- Rehearsing - Practicing for social situations or threats.
- Problem-solving - Addressing problems from your waking hours.
- "Flushing" waste from the brain - Toxins are flushed out of the brain while you dream.
- Unlocking creativity - Provides creative insight into problems.
Researchers don't have a clear idea of the age when children actually start dreaming. The answer can be different for each child. While some infants appear to be having lively dreams when smiling, giggling, or fussing in their sleep, experts aren't sure if newborns and infants can actually dream. They may simply be demonstrating reflexes. If they can dream, it's likely that babies are not having the same visual and thematic dreams that older children and adults experience.
More is known about the dream lives of children after the age of 4 because these kids are able to provide self-reporting information about their dream experiences. Between the ages of 5 and 7, children begin to see social interactions in their dreams. By ages 7 and 8, kids begin to have more frequent dreams. Dreams also become longer and more complex. A study that analyzed the content of dream reports from children between the ages of 4 and 8 found the following:
- Kids in this age bracket are active agents in their dreams. In fact, 70 percent reported having an active role in their dream narratives.
- Most interacted with human characters instead of animal characters in their dreams. While 70 percent of characters in dreams were human, just 7 percent were animals.
- Preschoolers were generally more likely to see animals in their dreams compared to school-aged kids.
- Family members appeared frequently in dreams.
- Kids of all ages reported experiencing motion in their dreams.
- Kids experienced a wide range of social interactions in dreams that involved a mix of aggression and friendliness.
- Kids had emotional experiences in their dreams.
By the time kids reach ages 9 to 11, their dreams are nearly identical to the dreams experienced by adults. Of course, dream quality is linked with sleep quality. As you may already know, most of our dreaming occurs during the stage of sleep called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Sleeping long enough to achieve REM sleep is crucial for both sleep health and brain health. Here's a look at the guidelines for how much sleep children need once they shift out of the erratic newborn sleep stage:
Ages 4 months to 1 year old: 12 to 16 hours per day.
Ages 1 to 2 years old: 11 to 14 hours per day.
Ages 3 to 5 years old: 10 to 13 hours per day.
Ages 6 to 12 years old: 9 to 12 hours per day.
Ages 13 to 18 years old: 8 to 10 hours per day.
Keep in mind that children under a certain age don't necessarily need to lump their full sleep totals into their nightly sleep. What age is appropriate for naps? According to experts, napping is considered appropriate for children under age 7.
When Children and Dreams Take a Darker Turn: Why Do Kids Have Nightmares?
If you're looking for information on children and dreams, there's a good chance that you're a parent who is concerned about your child's nightmares. Are nightmares normal for kids? Like dreams, nightmares generally occur during REM sleep. They’re also a bit of an enigma for researchers. The truth is that experts aren't 100 percent sure why children and adults have nightmares. A prevailing theory is that nightmares help us to process thoughts and feelings.
When you think of all of the changes kids go through, it's not surprising that they have nightmares from time to time. Stressors or causes of emotional turmoil that can include changes at school, the birth of a new sibling, a move to a new town, or shifts in family dynamics can trigger nightmares.
Reading scary books or watching scary content can also potentially lead to nightmares because a child is going to bed with complex or disturbing imagery in their minds. While occasional nightmares should not be cause for alarm, parents should consider bringing a child to a pediatrician or pediatric sleep specialist if the following symptoms are present:
- Frequent or recurring nightmares persist for more than two weeks.
- Nightmares are worsening in frequency and intensity.
- Fear stemming from nightmares is interfering with a child's daytime activity.
- Nightmares appear to be part of larger phobias.
Parents can help children work through nightmares by encouraging them to talk about them. Parents can also help children feel comforted at night by allowing them to keep nightlights in their rooms. Finally, using good judgment about age-appropriate media is important for helping kids to avoid stressors that can trigger nightmares.
Better Sleep Helps Kids Dream Big
While there's so much that scientists are still unlocking when it comes to how and why we dream, the one thing that's for certain is that good sleep is essential for childhood health! That's why making sure that your child is getting the recommended amount of sleep for their age by using good sleep hygiene habits is so important! After all, kids can't dream big in life unless they sleep well at night!
