The question of whether babies can have nightmares is a subject of debate among parents, researchers and sleep experts alike. However, the prevailing understanding suggests that infants, particularly in the early months, do not experience nightmares in the same way older children or adults do.

This is rooted in the fact that the neural and cognitive development required for the complex processes involved in dreaming, including the creation of frightening scenarios, is not fully formed in the early stages of infancy. While babies may exhibit signs of discomfort or distress during sleep, these are not reactions to a nightmare.

Regardless of whether or not it?s a nightmare, it?s important to understand what is disrupting your baby?s sleep in the middle of the night, their sleep cycle, and how to react when their cries seem to be more intense. Can babies have nightmares" What you need to know
?Typically speaking, babies don't tend to have nightmares,? says Alanna McGinn, sleep expert, founder of Good Night Sleep Site and Today's Parent contributor.

This is supported by research shared by the Pediatric Sleep Council. ?Many parents wonder if their little one is having a nightmare when he cries out at night or during sleep. We really don?t think that little ones have bad dreams or nightmares,? says Dr. Lisa Meltzer, a licensed child psychologist certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine.

Pediatric psychologist Dr. Catrina Litzenburg of...