Many are afraid of the dark and at bedtime. Some are afraid of scary dreams. Young kids may also be afraid of loud noises, like thunder or fireworks. Older kids fear real-life dangers.
Baby's First Fears
Newborns have two fears: loud noises and falling. "Babies' brains and nerves grow rapidly in the first two years of life, but they are born with very immature nervous systems," says Dr. Brown.
About fear of strangers
Fear of strangers is very common. It happens as your baby develops a healthy attachment to familiar people – like you. Because babies prefer familiar adults, they might react to strangers by crying or fussing, going very quiet, looking fearful or hiding.
We are born with only two innate fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud sounds. A 1960 study evaluated depth perception among 6- to14-month-old infants, as well as young animals.
Fear of the unknown is universal, but it seems to take form most commonly in three basic human fundamental fears: Fear of Death, Fear of Abandonment or Fear of Failure.
Other scholars suggest that our fear of death is what underpins the majority of human action – we are so anxious to face its inevitability that we fill our lives completely as a means to ignore or evade it. Death is one of the only things we know is for certain, and yet the uncertainty of it is what truly terrifies us.
The problem is that they cannot see what is lurking in a dark room. This makes them feel vulnerable and a child's imagination goes wild. This is why something as simple as a nightlight or light up teddy can make the problem go away.
According to researchers at Yale University's Infant Cognition Center, also known as “The Baby Lab,” babies can actually tell good from evil, even as young as 3 months old.
It is a sign that your child is starting to understand the world and the way it works, and that they are trying to make sense of what it means for them. With time and experience, they will come to figure out for themselves that the things that seem scary aren't so scary after all.
Many are afraid of the dark and at bedtime. Some are afraid of scary dreams. Young kids may also be afraid of loud noises, like thunder or fireworks. Older kids fear real-life dangers.
Fear is a common problem for toddlers and often comes on without warning. Typical fears include monsters, snakes, spiders, attackers, the dark, and being abandoned, but your tot could develop a fear of almost anything—including clowns!
Most common baby fears
In newborn babies, common baby fears include loud noises, falling, separation from parents, and strangers. At this stage, babies can't distinguish between objects accurately enough to be scared by looking at them. However, loud noises trigger the startle reflex.
We can put most of these fears into four categories and in this “How to Master Fear” series we'll refer to as the “big four fears”: fear of failure, fear of success, fear of rejection and fear of selling.
(Note: There are five core fears, or “universal themes of loss,” that capture the basic interpretations of danger that we all make. They are 1) fear of abandonment, 2) loss of identity, 3) loss of meaning, 4) loss of purpose and 5) fear of death, including the fear of sickness and pain.)
Yes, it's perfectly normal for your baby to appear angry sometimes. It can be very upsetting to see your baby distressed, but this is something most babies go through from time to time. Your baby probably isn't feeling anger in the way adults do.
Kids may not say it, but by the time they're as young as three, they give you a good hard look the moment they meet you—and they judge a lot by what they see. It may be no surprise that young humans—like all humans—look to the face first for clues about the kindness, approachability and even competence of new people.
As early as three months, babies learn to recognize their parents or primary caregivers. And there staring is their way to communicate. Babies can't quite interact yet for the first few months, so their staring is their way of communicating with you.
The Fear of Monsters
Some researchers suspect this is evolutionary. Nighttime is when people may be most vulnerable to predators. And, children may have learned to cry as a way to get adult attention and stay safer from nighttime danger. So, it's likely that your child's fear of nighttime and darkness is hardwired.
Experiencing trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can both contribute to nightmares, can also cause a fear of sleep. You might also fear things that could happen while you're sleeping, such as a burglary, fire, or other disaster. Somniphobia has also been linked to a fear of dying.
There are many reasons why your anxiety may be worse at night. Daily stressors, poor sleep habits, and other health conditions can lead to increased anxiety and panic attacks at night. However, there are many treatments available that can help ease your anxiety and improve your quality of sleep.
The top 10 fears found in the 2022 survey suggest that Americans' fears center on five main topics: corrupt government officials (number 1), harm to a loved one (numbers 2 & 4), war (numbers 3, 5, & 10), environmental concerns (numbers 6 & 9), and economic concerns numbers 7 & 8).
It sounds crazy, but that's what people say. Is there any truth to this? Certainly the vast majority of people rank fear of public speaking as number one – 75% according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.
There are only five basic fears, out of which almost all of our other so-called fears are manufactured. These fears include extinction, mutilation, loss of autonomy, separation, and ego death.