Gina Johnson
It is not uncommon for babies to laugh in their sleep, and it is usually nothing to worry about. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most babies smile in their sleep before they smile while awake, though the reason behind this is unclear. It is likely that they are responding to an internal impulse or reflex, and developing the muscles they need to smile and laugh voluntarily while awake. However, in rare cases, sleep-laughing can be a sign of gelastic seizures, especially if the laughter occurs as the baby is falling asleep and is accompanied by a vacant stare or unusual bodily movements.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Occurrence | Very common |
| Reason | Responding to an internal impulse or reflex, developing facial muscles, neurological issue |
| Nature | Harmless, involuntary |
| Sleep type | REM sleep |
| Concerns | Gelastic seizures, sleep apnea, nightmares, night terrors |
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What You'll Learn
It's a common occurrence and a normal part of development
It is very common for babies to laugh and smile in their sleep. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most babies smile in their sleep before they smile while awake, though the reason behind this is unclear. It is likely that they are responding to an internal impulse or reflex. In most cases, sleep-laughing is nothing to worry about and is a normal part of healthy development. The Moro reflex, for instance, can cause a baby to smile or laugh in their sleep as a reflex when they hear a loud noise. As they get older, they will develop the muscles they need to smile and laugh voluntarily while awake.
Babies sleep differently than adults. During the first few months of life, they sleep in short cycles that alternate between active and quiet periods. During the active periods, you may notice your baby's eyes fluttering or arms and legs twitching. This is normal. Newborns also sleep a lot, up to 17 hours a day, but they can't stay asleep for long periods. During the night, a baby will cycle through different stages of sleep, including REM sleep, during which laughter is more likely to occur.
Babies typically start to smile and laugh shortly after birth, and these sleepy smiles are usually short and transient. As they approach the two-month mark, they will start to smile while awake in response to external stimuli, such as talking, making eye contact, or smiling at them. This is when they begin to exhibit true intentional social smiles and laughs. The first real laugh typically occurs around six months. In rare cases, laughing fits may be a sign of gelastic seizures, especially if they last for 10 to 20 seconds or if the baby wakes up during the laughing fit. If you are concerned about your baby's sleep habits or if they are showing other signs of a sleep disorder, it is important to talk to your pediatrician.
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It could be a reflex or an internal impulse
It is very common for babies to laugh and smile in their sleep. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most babies smile in their sleep before they smile while awake, although the reason for this is not entirely clear. It is likely that they are responding to an internal impulse or reflex. During sleep, a baby's body can make involuntary movements, which may contribute to smiles and laughter.
Babies sleep differently than adults. During the first few months of life, they sleep in short cycles that alternate between active and quiet periods. During the active periods, you may notice your baby's eyes fluttering, or their arms and legs twitching. This is all normal. Newborns also sleep a lot, up to 17 hours a day, but they can't stay asleep for long periods. Most babies will sleep for only 2-3 hours at a time.
There are two main kinds of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. Over the course of a night, a person will go through multiple cycles of REM and non-REM sleep. During REM sleep, a baby's brain activity is similar to an adult's. However, unlike adults, babies only stay in this stage for about 5-10 minutes at a time. Laughter is controlled by the limbic system, the part of the brain that regulates emotions. So, it is possible that your baby is responding to an internal impulse during REM sleep.
In most cases, sleep-laughing is nothing to worry about and is likely a normal part of your baby's development. However, in rare instances, it can be a sign of a neurological issue or gelastic seizures. If you are concerned about your baby's sleep habits or if they are showing other signs of a sleep disorder, please talk to your pediatrician.
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It could be a sign of gelastic seizures
It is common for babies to laugh and smile in their sleep. In most cases, this is a normal part of their development. However, in rare instances, it could be a sign of gelastic seizures.
Gelastic seizures are a type of focal or partial seizure that causes episodes of uncontrollable laughter. They are often called "laughing seizures". The laughter may sound different from the baby's usual laughter, described as hollow or mechanical, and not linked to any happiness or joy. The emotion is often forced, and the person cannot stop it from happening. The laughter may also be accompanied by other symptoms, such as small repetitive movements like lip-smacking, mumbling, or fidgeting with their hands, which are sometimes called "automatisms".
Gelastic seizures are exceptionally rare, occurring in only 0.005% of people, and they usually start in infancy, often around 10 months old. However, they can be hard to recognize in babies and young children, as the episodes of laughter can be mistaken for normal behaviour. Signs that your baby might be experiencing gelastic seizures include laughter happening as your baby is falling asleep, rather than during REM sleep, and if the laughter wakes them up. These seizures are typically short, lasting around 10 to 20 seconds, and they may happen multiple times a day.
If you are concerned that your baby may be experiencing gelastic seizures, you should contact your baby's healthcare provider. They may suggest some tests to confirm a diagnosis, including an EEG (electroencephalogram) to record electrical activity in the brain, and an MRI brain scan, which can diagnose gelastic seizures with hypothalamic hamartoma. Although epilepsy medicines may help control the seizures, surgery is the most likely treatment that will be successful in stopping them.
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It could be a response to comfort or relaxation
It is very common for babies to laugh and smile in their sleep. In most cases, it is a normal part of healthy development and is nothing to worry about. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most babies smile in their sleep before they smile while awake, though the reason behind this is not entirely clear. One theory is that it could be a response to comfort or relaxation. Indeed, a couple of studies have found a link between tiny babies laughing in their sleep and their comfort or relaxation levels.
During the first few months of life, babies sleep in short cycles that alternate between active and quiet periods. During the active periods, you may notice your baby's eyes fluttering or arms and legs twitching. This is normal and is a result of the baby spending more time in active sleep than adults. During active sleep, babies are more likely to laugh out loud, even in their sleep.
Babies also sleep differently than adults in terms of the stages of sleep they experience. There are two main kinds of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. Unlike adults, who usually have long periods of REM sleep, babies only stay in this stage for about 5-10 minutes at a time. Laughter typically occurs during REM sleep, which may explain why babies laugh in their sleep.
In rare cases, laughing fits in babies may be a sign of gelastic seizures, especially if they last for 10 to 20 seconds or if the baby wakes up during the laughing fit. If you are concerned about your baby's sleep habits or if they are showing other signs of a sleep disorder, please talk to your pediatrician.
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It could be a sign of a sleep disorder
While it is very common and normal for babies to laugh in their sleep, in rare cases, it could be a sign of a sleep disorder. Laughing during sleep, or hypnogely, is often harmless, but it can sometimes indicate a neurological issue.
Babies sleep very differently from adults, with shorter sleep cycles that alternate between active and quiet periods. During the active periods, it is normal for babies to experience involuntary movements, such as eye fluttering, or twitching arms and legs. This is the time when babies are more likely to laugh out loud, even in their sleep. As they grow older, these laughs and smiles during sleep are usually precursors to their first real social smiles and laughs.
However, if your baby is displaying other signs of a sleep disorder, it is important to speak to a pediatrician. This includes frequent night wakings, short daytime naps, and difficulty falling asleep at bedtime. Additionally, if your baby is also crying in their sleep, it could indicate nightmares or night terrors, which can disturb their sleep.
In very rare instances, laughter during sleep can be a symptom of gelastic seizures or gelastic epilepsy, which are seizures that cause uncontrollable laughter. These seizures typically last around 10 to 20 seconds and can occur as the baby is falling asleep or while they are asleep, sometimes waking them up. If you notice these seizures happening regularly, accompanied by a vacant stare or unusual bodily movements, it is crucial to consult a pediatrician for further evaluation.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is very common for babies to laugh and smile in their sleep. This is usually a reflex and a part of normal development.
Laughing in sleep, or hypnogely, is a relatively common occurrence. It is often caused by involuntary movements during sleep. It may also be linked to comfort and relaxation levels.
In most cases, sleep-laughing is nothing to worry about. However, in rare instances, it can be a sign of gelastic seizures, sleep apnea, or other neurological issues. If you are concerned, contact your baby's healthcare provider.
Gelastic seizures are exceptionally rare, occurring in only 0.005% of people. They typically start in infancy, often around 10 months old. Signs to look out for include laughter as your baby is falling asleep and waking up during the laughter.
Some people believe that babies laugh in their sleep when they dream about their dad falling down, while they cry if they dream about their mum falling. However, there is no confirmation if this is true.
