Babies can be noisy little sleepers! Blame small nasal passages and short sleep stages

Whoever came up with the phrase “slept like a baby” when talking about a solid night’s rest clearly didn’t spend many nights with a snoring, moaning, gurgling and all-around noisy sleeping baby.

It hardly seems peaceful, but most baby sleep noises are nothing to worry about. Family medicine physician Jeffrey Brown, DO, shares why your baby grunts in their sleep (and makes all those other sounds, too).

Normal baby sleep sounds

Babies can be noisy little things — and that doesn’t stop when they sleep. Normal baby sleep noises include:

  • Cooing
  • Crying
  • Gasping
  • Grunting
  • Gurgling
  • Moaning
  • Panting
  • Snoring
  • Snorting
  • Squealing
  • Wheezing
  • Whimpering

Why newborns grunt, snore and more

Babies make so many sleep noises because they’re learning how to do basic things the rest of us take for granted — like breathe, swallow, poop and switch between cycles of sleep.

Dr. Brown shares five reasons babies make noise in their sleep.

They’re new to breathing

After spending months in the uterus, breathing air simply isn’t something babies do perfectly at first.

Coordinating breathing can be a challenge for newborns — not in a medical emergency kind of way, but just in terms of getting the hang of it. That means babies can breathe really shallow and fast (panting) at times — or they might go several seconds without breathing at all.

“Babies’ brains and lungs are still figuring out how to work together, so there can be times when they’ll go 10 seconds without breathing and then suddenly gasp,” Dr. Brown reports. “That can scare the daylights out of parents, but it’s all part of them developing.”

Just a few seconds of your baby not breathing can feel like an eternity. But unless they’re showing other signs of distress (more on that in a bit), it’s nothing to worry about.

And there’s more. Newborn babies can’t breathe out of their mouths because they need to breathe while feeding. So, when they’re congested, that can ratchet up the volume.

“Newborns are nose breathers, and their tiny noses and nasal passages can get clogged up easily,” Dr. Brown says. “Even a bit of congestion can make a lot of noise.”

Congestion can make baby snore, snort, or wheeze or whistle from their nose.

They need to swallow

Eating and swallowing are tough work, and little babies tend to fall asleep before they’ve drained a bottle or finished a full breastfeeding session.

Any breast milk or formula that doesn’t make its way to their tummy can make for some noisy sleep.

“When babies are done feeding and they still have some liquid pooled in the back of their throat, it can cause a kind of gurgling sound,” Dr. Brown says.

They’re digesting

Other baby sleep noises, like grunting and groaning, can come on when their little baby bellies are working hard to burp, poop and fart.

It takes a lot of muscle coordination to get the gas out or to push out a good poop. And digestion doesn’t stop when babies are sleeping. That can mean a lot of squirming and pushing in their sleep. It can also mean rumbling or bubbling sounds coming from their bellies.

They’re switching sleep cycles

For their first three to four months, babies cycle between REM and non-REM sleep very quickly — about every 45 to 50 minutes, Dr. Brown shares.

And they don’t always shift easily between one sleep stage and the next. It takes some time and practice for babies to develop self-soothing strategies that help them stay asleep during those transitions. In the meantime, they may cry or moan as they end one phase of sleep and go to the next.

They need you

The world is a much bigger place than the uterus. It’s also noisier, colder, windier, smellier and brighter. It’s a big adjustment.

And sometimes, babies make noise in their sleep to tell you so.

“Not every noise your baby makes in their sleep is a sign that they need your attention, but sometimes it is,” Dr. Brown acknowledges. “Babies are often very much asleep even when they’re making a lot of noise, so you don’t need to swoop in and disturb their natural sleep cycle.”

If you hear your baby making noise but they still seem to be asleep, give them a few minutes to see if it’s a shift in their sleep phases or a bit of gas.

If it continues or they’re awake, it may be time for a feeding, a new diaper, an adjustment in their swaddle, or a loving cuddle or back rub to remind them that they’re not alone in this big world.

Concerning baby sleep noises

There are times when babies make noise in their sleep that could signal they’re having trouble breathing. Get emergency help by dialing 911 (or the emergency service line in your country) if:

  • Baby doesn’t breathe for more than 10 seconds.
  • Baby’s skin or lips turn blue.
  • Baby’s face is turning red (while they’re not pooping).
  • Baby’s nostrils are flaring.
  • Baby’s chest is heaving as they try to breathe.

How long do baby sleep noises last?

Most babies will sleep more soundlessly by the time they’re about 3 or 4 months old.

“The first three months of babies’ lives are called the fourth trimester for a reason — they still have a lot of developing to do,” Dr. Brown emphasizes. “After that, you can expect that they’ll start getting the hang of things and sleep without as much commotion.”

If baby’s sleep noises are keeping you up, you might consider a white noise machine to help damp down some of the ruckus. And talk with a healthcare provider, like a pediatrician or family medicine specialist, if you’re concerned that your baby’s noisy sleep is a sign of something more troublesome.