We all know it's very common for babies to smile or laugh when they are awake, but neither do most of us also know that babies smile while sleeping. Well, if you have recently given birth to your baby and have watched him sleeping for hours, you must have noticed a twitch or smile on his face, that you keep wondering what it's means. Well, laughing during sleep is what we call "hypnogely", and it's a relatively common occurrence.
Meanwhile, laughing in your sleep is actually harmless, but in most cases it can be a sign of a neurological issue. Therefore, it's important for you to know some of the reasons why babies smile in their sleep, as this reasons can help you understand you baby better.
Why do babies laugh or smile while sleeping?
Most people do believe that the reason why babies smile in their sleep, is maybe they've seen an angel or they are playing with an angel. Well, that may not be so true because there have been no scientific evidence to show that. But according to studies, babies are likely to smile while in their sleep due to the following reasons.
1. REM Sleep Cycle
There are two kinds of sleep which are; Rapid eye movement (REM) and Non-REM sleep. When a baby is in the REM sleep, he or she can experience certain physiological changes that may trigger some reflexes, and one example of this reflexes is "smile". Meanwhile, REM sleep phase may result in vivid dreams, and also rapid eye movements (REMs).
Therefore, if by any chance you notice that your baby is smiling or laughing while sleeping, it is very possible that he is undergoing the REM sleep cycle, which may often recall some funny episode that occurred earlier during the day.
2. Your baby is developing emotions
When babies awake, they are usually exposed to new things in their environments like sounds and sights. However, as you babies brain is developing, it tends to record all the daily experiences and information they see or that comes their way, which possibly gets processed while they are asleep. Infact, those happy emotions felt while dealing with the new knowledge and their understanding of it, is what they exhibit through laughter or smiles while they are sleeping.
Therefore, if a baby smiles or laugh when sleeping, it can be a part of the process of evolving emotions.
3. They are passing gas(farts)
Once babies are upto 3 or 4 months old, they are likely to start smiling. But if you notice that your baby is smiling in the first few weeks of his birth, then it's likely possible that he is passing gas. Farting, helps babies feel relieved and better. Meanwhile, this is one main reason why babies smile during sleep.
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