Why newborns smile when they sleep

Can there be anything more exciting than seeing a baby smiling? Even more so if we talk about the first smile of a newborn, also known as the angelic smile, which can be a moment long awaited by many parents and that compensates, to some extent, for the fatigue and waking hours of the first days, chaotic, however beautiful.

This magical moment is often more common while babies are sleeping. Are they dreaming? Or remembering your time in mommy’s belly? O awesome.club asked these same questions and wanted to know what babies hide behind those dreamy smiles.

If you were lucky enough to see your baby smiling on the ultrasound, it wasn’t your imagination or wishful thinking. One study observed more than 500 pregnant women who had 4D ultrasounds, selecting 31 fetuses that showed smiles, with an average duration of 3.21 seconds each. Thus, it was determined that spontaneous smiles occur in the mother’s womb.

Thanks to advances in technologies, to observe babies before they are born, it was possible to discover that fetuses yawn from the 18th week. In the 26th week of pregnancy, it is already possible to see them smiling, blinking and even crying; these facial expressions are a preparatory reflex for birth.

These actions of the baby in the womb are considered reflex acts. That is, they are an immediate response to a stimulus that, in the case of babies, is usually an internal feeling of well-being. Newborns are not aware that they are smiling and it is an involuntary movement of their muscles, such as when they kick or suck their finger.

A newborn normally has two stages of sleep: active and deep sleep. The active phase, REM or Rapid Eye Movement, is produced by intense brain activity. This happens about 60-90 minutes after falling asleep. At these times, we are more likely to see our babies smile, grimace or stretch their legs, as involuntary acts of their organism.

Both smiles and crying are the means that babies have to communicate in their first moments after birth, and some studies confirm that they are already social beings days, and even hours, after they are born. That’s why your smiles can also be a response to positive sensations (a caress on the cheek, being clean and warm), or pleasant memories such as voices, smells and flavors.

While seeing a baby sleeping and smiling might make us think that he is dreaming, this is hardly possible, as a newborn does not yet have experiences to remember, nor does he have the ability to imagine, and his brain is still in motion. growth.

Sleeping in the first weeks of life helps babies develop their brain, process information and consolidate memory, which yes, begins to form from the womb, and this can be seen in newborn babies, just a few hours old, who already recognize the voice of the mother or father.

In any case, we know very well that the reason behind those smiles will never replace the feeling of seeing them on your baby for the first time. Do you have pictures of your newborns smiling? Don’t hesitate to share them with us and fill the comments section with lots of cuteness.