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Why Do I Dream Of A Baby Dying? What Is The Meaning?

Dreams of a baby dying often feel like nightmares. Dreams of being pregnant can be even more perplexing, and scary if you don’t want another child.

Fortunately, dreams of children being born or dying have very little to do with the fact that something is going to happen to your baby soon. Dreams represent things going on in your life, or your own internal feelings instead. 

Why Do I Dream Of A Baby Dying? What Is The Meaning?

Recently, I started to have dreams of children dying. This started a few weeks ago. There was no pattern. Sometimes, a baby was surrendered off a cliff. Other times it was a bit more nightmarish.

These dreams have now turned into pregnancy dreams. Last night, I had a dream that I was pregnant with a child, but the child somehow grew to be a healthy one-year-old in my stomach.

I had a miraculously, healthy birth in the back seat of a car. This was a bit odd, and I delved into research about what these dreams really mean. 

Why Do We Have Nightmares?

When it seems like everything is going well, those nightmares creep into your peaceful slumber out of nowhere. This is said to be because it helps to keep you balanced.

If everything in life is going well, and your dreams are peaceful, you might become overconfident, which is why your brain gives you nightmares. This is a bit of a tale, but it could very well be true. 

Dreams Of A Baby Dying Is Due To Underlying Emotions

Often, our innermost fears and emotions are displayed through vivid dreams. When we sleep, our brain continues to process events and emotions of the day.

Sometimes, your brain is still processing things that happened weeks ago, and you’ll see that in your dreams. One thing that our brain can take some time to process that will be seen in dreams are emotions.

There are quite a few emotions that can lead to dreams of a baby dying.

word fear

Fear

As you watch the baby possibly die, before the moment of death, you are filled with fear. This represents a trial in your life or something that you are already scared of.

This doesn’t necessarily mean a fear that someone is going to hurt you. It could also be: 

  • Fear of failure
  • Fear of change
  • Fear of a new relationship
  • Fear that someone is being unfaithful
  • Fear that you are not a good mother

All of these things, and many more, can be seen as fear in a dream. Stop to consider what is going on in your life, and how you are feeling about it. 

Anxiety Or Nervousness Can Cause Death Dreams

If you’re feeling nervous or anxious about something, especially a change in life, it can be seen in your dreams through dreams of death. Sometimes, it just so happens to be a baby in the dream. 

However, if your feelings of nervousness are centered around your own little one, that is why you are having dreams of a baby dying.

This doesn’t mean that you are failing as a mother and is not a premonition that something is going to happen to your little one.

Instead, it is simply your brain processing the emotions of your own feelings of anxiety. Death in dreams does not always mean death in real life. 

Worried About A Child

If you’re worried about a child, you can expect to see that in your dreams. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are worried about your child; it could be any child. Was a niece in a car accident?

Did you see a story on the news about a child that was abused that made you feel worried? Things like this can turn up later in dreams of dead babies. Once you stop worrying, those nightmares will slowly fade away. 

Dreams About Death Symbolize Things Happening In Your Life

While it’s common to have dreams about things that are happening in your life, you often don’t see things as they are. Instead, dreams and nightmares are symbolic.

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For example, a dream about pregnancy often doesn’t signal that you’re going to get pregnant or your love for a child. Instead, this dream symbolizes growth, such as personal growth.

Likewise, death does not mean that you or someone you love will be laying in a casket anytime soon. Instead, it’s often a symbol of your life-changing, which is usually a result of a choice that you made. 

Death Of Your Inner Child

Many of us have an inner child. Sometimes, we can be so traumatized or through other events that have stunted emotional growth. Perhaps our upbringing was fine, but we were allowed to be too dependent on other people.

Whatever the case, the inner child is still there and seen through behaviors such as temper tantrums, clinginess, and being overly dependent.

As you are thrust into the world of an adult, the inner child is eventually forced to grow up. In a sense, the inner child dies. It is replaced by an adult. The dreams of a baby dying could be signaled by the death of your inner child. 

Dreams Of Death Often Signal A New Chapter In Life

When you dream of death, it may be because you are starting a new chapter in life. Death doesn’t necessarily mean something bad, though! For example, I love to write.

Specifically, I love to write about parenting, mom life, beauty (makeup and skincare), and fashion. A majority of my writing career has been focused on parenting or in the digital marketing field (business to business blog writing.)

Now, I’ve finally started to take the leap to start focusing on writing more about makeup, beauty, etc. alongside parenting. Those dreams of death signal that change.

It’s not a new chapter exactly, but it is a significant change, hence the dreams of a baby dying. 

Did Something In Your Life Die?

Sometimes, the meaning of death dreams is blatantly obvious you take a step back and look at your own life. Did a child move out? Are you going through a divorce?

The death of a marriage is commonly symbolized through death in dreams. A child moving out might not be the same as death, but the grieving process is so similar that it can feel similar to death in terms of emotions.

If you are going through a significant loss in life, whether it be a partner, loved one, or a friend moving away, this could be the dead baby dream meaning that you’re searching for.

woman mourning

Dreams Of Dead Babies Symbolize Life Changes

In order for one thing to begin happening, something else must usually stop happening. For example, in order to move into a bigger, beautiful house, you must leave behind the old house.

While this change is usually considered a blessing, it can be symbolized as a death in a dream because you are leaving something behind too. This is often the case when you are experiencing a life change, no matter how good the change is.

Examples of changes that can be seen as a dead baby in dreams include: 

  • Moving
  • A new job
  • Ending a friendship or relationship (even if the other person was toxic)
  • Financial changes, such as coming into money or losing money

Anything that you view as a significant change will often be seen in your dreams, and one of the most common ways that this is seen can be as death. Although it can be disturbing to have dreams, or nightmares, about dead babies, it is often nothing overly concerning. 

How To Stop The Dreams About Dead Babies

There is nothing pleasant about having a dream about a dead baby. Even if it simply means that there has been a change in your life, you still don’t want to have them.

There are a few things that you can do to make them go away a bit faster than they normally would. 

Don’t Take OTC Sleep Aides That Cause Nightmares

Some over the counter sleep aids, such as Melatonin, is known for producing vivid dreams when taken long term. If you’re experiencing vivid dreams, especially if they are of a disturbing nature, consider other alternatives.

Talk to your health care provider about different medications or over the counter sleep medicines that do not have the same side effect. 

Address Your Emotions In A Healthy Manner

If you’re having feelings of anxiety, are nervous, or are simply very worried, it’s important to address those emotions in a healthy manner.

When we suppress emotions, they are bound to come out eventually. Sometimes, they come out in our dreams, though. If the root of your dead baby dreams is due to your underlying emotions, resolving those emotions will help the nightmares subside.

peaceful sleep

They Always Stop Eventually

If your dreams are due to a significant life change, trust that they will stop eventually. I’ve personally had these dreams as a result of this, and I can guarantee that they do not last forever.

As you adjust to the change in life and work through it, the dreams will slowly become less and less. 

How To Fall Back Asleep After A Nightmare

The process of falling back to sleep is as horrible as these dreams can be themselves. You toss and turn, finally drift off to sleep and are awakened by dreams of a baby dying.

It can leave you feeling anxious and make it more difficult to fall back asleep. Different things do work for different people, but these tips might help you fall back asleep after a nightmare so that you can get the rest that you need. 

Get A Nightlight

I know when I wake up I am in my own bed. I can feel my amazing memory foam mattress beneath me. My body pillow is curved carefully around me.

However, I still want a light on after I wake up to make sure. Sometimes, dreams feel so real that it can be terrifying to sit and think about them in the dark.

On those nights, I leave the kitchen light on. If this is happening every night, consider getting the adult version of a nightlight. 

Stay Up And Relax To Fall Back Asleep Sooner

The longer you stay in bed, the harder it can be to fall back asleep. Instead, get out of bed. Then, don’t turn on any screens as these can keep you awake longer. Instead, do something that you find relaxing. For example: 

  • Take a shower
  • Color in a coloring book
  • Read a book
  • Meditate
  • Do some quick yoga poses
  • Soak in a bubble bath
  • Drink a cup of warm tea

Once you’re relaxed, it will be easier to fall back asleep. Follow the same rules that you follow for your little one. Wait until you’re feeling drowsy, and then lay back down.

If you lay in bed and try to force yourself to go back to sleep, it will make it harder to fall asleep. 

Try Not To Let The Dream Stress You Out

If you have a baby in the house, dreams of dead babies can be downright nerve-racking. You’ll find yourself checking to make sure that your baby is still breathing.

mother and baby in bed

Sometimes, you might be too shaken to fall back asleep at all, leaving you groggy and disoriented the next day. Try to remember that it’s just a dream, and does not mean anything about your baby.

This dream is a symbol of your feelings and life changes, nothing more. Knowing this can make them a bit less stressful. 

So, What Do Dreams About A Dead Baby Mean?

These dreams are simply due to your own emotions, such as being nervous, anxious, worried or fearful, or a life change.

They will slowly stop as more time passes and your own emotions fade back to average or as you adjust to the current life change you are going through.

In the meantime, practice good sleeping habits to make sure that you get an adequate amount of rest every single night.