Are you worried about seeing your 2 Weeks-old baby laughing in sleep? Giving birth and having a baby around you is an exciting journey. A lot happens during the early stage of your baby’s life, and as a parent, you are eager to experience every new change and development your little one would go through. You begin to observe every reaction your baby makes while asleep or awake to ensure your baby is perfectly fine. It is possible that you might have noticed that your baby laughs in his/her sleep, and this might begin to make you wonder what it means and if you need to take any actions towards it. Does your baby laughing in his/her sleep have anything to do with their sleep cycle, is he/she having cute dreams?. So many questions might begin to pop up in your mind but here is what you should know.
Why do babies laugh in their sleep?
Have you recently heard your little one giggle and rushed to check if they are awake and realize they were laughing while sleeping. According to experts, there is no clear-cut reason why a baby laughs in his/her sleep, but there are some possible theories as to why they laugh in their sleep.
- They are trying to process new information:
During the first months of your baby’s life. He/she is trying to process all the information’s around. It is a new experience being outside the womb and they are constantly trying to process everything. From figuring how their bodies work to smiling, seeing bright lights, and seeing different people. Their learning curve increases daily. When your baby takes a nap, their brain begins to process all the information collected, and since they are just learning about emotions, you might catch your little one laughing, frowning, or crying in their sleep.
- Natural reflex:
You might be surprised to know that your baby has dreams. Yes, your little one starts dreaming right from the womb, and this continues even as newborn babies. Although they might not necessarily laugh because of a dream. Your baby might laugh as a natural reflex during their REM cycle in a period called active sleep. This might make your baby make a reflex movement which includes laughing.
Can a 2-week old baby laugh in sleep?
Your baby’s first two weeks would come with a lot of adjustments. Your baby has been used to the environment in your womb and coming to a different environment seems strange. Your two-week-old baby would most likely sleep for a larger portion of the day between 16-20 hours per day with periodic naps. He/she would also begin to react to light, facial reactions, etc. While sleeping, your baby might begin to process all the information received during his/her time awake. Yes, your two-week-old baby can laugh while sleeping and you should not be worried about such action.
Can a 4-week old baby laugh in sleep?
At 4 weeks old, your baby would have gone through an enormous change and you would have noticed all the changes your baby would have gone through. You should be proud of yourself for going through sleepless nights and having to calm a fussy baby. At 4 weeks old, your baby would begin to study human faces, recognize familiar faces, and react with excitement. He/she would most likely sleep for 16-18 hours per day with short naps at the interval. While your baby sleeps at this age you might catch him/her laughing and it should not be a problem.
Can an 8-week old baby laugh in sleep?
At this age, your baby is gradually moving out of the newborn stage. When your baby is 8 weeks old, he/she is able to distinguish between colors and tell what direction a sound is coming from. Your little one is able to express emotional reactions. Your baby would likely sleep for close to 12-14 hours with naps at intervals. With this new development, your baby would still likely have reflex laughs in his/her sleep. Your baby might also laugh at this age because he/she is still trying to process information received during the day or have flashes of event that has happened which results in laughter.
What does it mean when your baby laughs in sleep?
Parents should realize that the first few smiles or laughs a baby has are usually involuntary. It might not be an emotional response but a way of learning expressive skills. Babies go through a REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase of sleep which might cause your baby to smile, laugh, jerk, etc. it might not necessarily be because of a dream but more of reflex action to the REM stage. It is important to understand that babies are different and you should not be bothered if your baby doesn’t express laughter during sleep. Some babies are usually sterner than others and might not laugh while sleeping. There isn’t any reason to have concerns until when your baby is around 6 months and is still not expressing any laughter even while awake. You would need to see a pediatrician at this stage. Research has proven that babies do not have vivid dreams until they are about two years old. At this age, your baby’s brain has developed to a certain stage and your baby can now have dreams and nightmares that can require expressions of laughter or crying.
With the arrival of a baby, you would want to monitor or observe every move your little one makes. This might include seeing your 2 Weeks-old baby laughing in sleep. You do not need to be bothered when you see your baby laugh in their sleep. Babies have reflex actions while sleeping which are not connected with dreams. Highlighted above is what you should know about your 2 Weeks-old baby laughing in sleep and what it means. Babies have different growth stages but it is also important to monitor your baby while sleeping to ensure he/she expresses reactions at the interval. You can check with your pediatrician if you have any concerns with your baby’s cognitive development.
