The question of when dreaming begins is not straightforward because the experience is subjective and cannot be communicated by infants. Answering this requires distinguishing between the biological onset of dream-like brain activity and the point at which an individual can form and recall a complex, narrative dream. Researchers must rely on physiological markers observed during sleep to estimate the earliest possible start of this mental phenomenon.
The Biological Markers of Dreaming
The scientific search for the beginning of dreaming focuses on Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. In adults, REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye movements, temporary muscle paralysis, and brain activity resembling wakefulness. This is the stage most associated with vivid dreaming and is identifiable through electroencephalogram (EEG) readings and observation of physical signs.
In newborns and infants, this stage is often referred to as “Active Sleep.” While the brain activity patterns are similar to adult REM sleep, they lack the full cortical features seen in mature brains. Newborns spend a significant amount of time in Active Sleep, accounting for 40% to 70% of their total sleep time, compared to an adult’s 15% to 20%. This high percentage led early researchers to hypothesize that this activity serves a purpose similar to dreaming.
This extensive Active Sleep is thought to be a mechanism for internal self-stimulation, which is important for the development of the brain and nervous system when external stimuli are limited. The increased neural activity helps to build and calibrate neural connections, especially those related to sensorimotor function and memory consolidation. The presence of Active Sleep suggests the potential for a primitive form of dream-like mental experience, even if it is not a complex story.
The Developmental Timeline of Dream Activity
The onset of dream activity may occur even before birth, as the biological components of sleep begin to form in the womb. Around the seventh month of gestation, the human fetus exhibits the first rapid eye movements. The brain cycles between periods of active and quiet sleep, which is considered the earliest physiological precursor to dreaming.
After birth, the volume of Active Sleep in newborns suggests a continuous period of high brain activity. Some scientists propose that any mental content at this stage would be extremely simple, reflecting only basic sensory input or processing of recent experiences, rather than a narrative. Other theories suggest this early activity is purely for brain development, making the content “empty” of true dream imagery.
The maturation of sleep cycles and the potential for a recognizable dream experience progresses during infancy and toddlerhood. By three months of age, infants begin to enter deep sleep before Active Sleep, and the percentage of Active Sleep gradually declines. The structures necessary for forming complex, detailed dreams—such as self-awareness and advanced visual processing—are thought to be sufficiently developed around the preschool years, between two and five years old.
The first dreams, if they occur at this age, are hypothesized to be fragmented, static, and more like a slideshow of images than a movie, often featuring animals or familiar faces. After age two, some studies suggest children have the cognitive capacity to experience more vivid, detailed dreams. The transition from simple brain stimulation to actual dreaming is gradual, mirroring the development of the waking mind.
When Children Start Reporting Dreams
While the brain may be capable of a form of dreaming much earlier, the ability to recall and communicate a recognizable dream experience is a separate cognitive milestone. To report a dream, a child must possess a developed sense of self, a capacity for narrative structure, and the ability to distinguish between internal mental events and external reality. These skills do not fully align until later in childhood.
The first reports of dreams that contain any recognizable, story-like structure typically emerge around five to seven years of age. Before age five, reports are often brief, containing fewer than fifteen words, and lack a coherent plot. These early reports frequently involve the child as a passive observer rather than an active participant.
Between five and nine years old, children’s dream reports become longer and more complex, gradually incorporating characters, themes, and actions. Around six to seven years old, a child gains the cognitive ability to understand that a dream is not a real event. Consistent reporting of dreams, approaching adult frequency and complexity, generally does not stabilize until nine to eleven years of age.