Do newborns have dreams?

Babies spend half of their sleep in REM (the cycle responsible for dreams), but neuroscientists believe that it serves a completely different purpose for newborns and infants than dreaming. When babies are in REM, it allows their brain to develop pathways, connections, and eventually, learn languages.

The general consensus is that infants and babies start dreaming around the age of two. Psychologist David Foulkes studies children (from tots to teens) to bring the secrets of their dreams to the light of day. In his lab, he lets kids fall asleep and then wakes them 3 times a night—sometimes in REM and sometimes in NREM—and asks them to describe what they recall.