Surprise: “Sleeping like a baby” sounds a lot like a stuffed-up grandpa taking a noisy midday snooze in the recliner! The truth is, babies make lots of weird noises while sleeping. In fact, experts confirm that newborn sleep is, indeed, not at all quiet. And while there are many totally normal baby sleep sounds that require not an ounce of worry. some baby grunting, whistling, and gurgling noises can be cause for concern. The trick? Knowing which baby sleep sounds and grunts are which. Here’s help!
Why do newborn babies grunt?
Usually, newborns grunt when they learn how to pass stool. However, this grunting can occasionally indicate a health issue, such as trapped mucus, gastroesophageal reflux or irregular breathing.
In this article, we explore the reasons that newborns grunt. We also discuss accompanying symptoms, home remedies, and when to see a doctor.
When newborns grunt, it can sound like they are in pain, but this is not usually true. Most often, it means that they are learning how to pass stool.
In other cases, the grunting can point to an underlying problem, and it is important to be aware of any other symptoms. The presence of these can help to determine whether the grunting is a cause for concern.
Share on Pinterest Causes of newborn grunting may include having a bowel movement, irregular breathing patterns, and dreaming.
Newborns tend to grunt as they get used to having bowel movements. Doctors sometimes refer to this as grunting baby syndrome.
To pass stool, an adult often relaxes their pelvic floor and uses the stomach muscles to apply pressure which helps to move the stool through the gut.
At first, a newborn’s stomach muscles are not strong enough to do this, so they use the diaphragm muscle to move their bowel. As they exercise the diaphragm, it can put pressure on the voice box, resulting in grunting.
Other causes of newborn grunting include:
- Irregular breathing patterns. Newborns may grunt as they develop control over their breathing patterns.
- Trapped mucus. Mucus can collect in a newborn’s narrow nasal passages.
- Dreaming. Grunting during sleep can indicate dreaming or a bowel movement.
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Also known as acid reflux, this occurs when stomach contents rise into the food pipe. It can cause discomfort, and the baby may grunt.
When a newborn grunts because they are passing stool, they may also:
- strain for several minutes
- cry
- turn red or purple in the face
Share on Pinterest A reduced appetite can be a symptom of constipation in a newborn.
Grunting baby syndrome is not the same as constipation. A newborn who grunts usually passes soft stools.
Symptoms of constipation in a newborn can include:
- small, dry, pellet-like stools
- fewer than three bowel movements per week
- reduced appetite
- a hard stomach
- crying, discomfort, pain, or irritability before passing stool
- foul-smelling gas and stools
The following strategies can help:
- changing formula
- changing the diet of the adult, if breast-feeding
- feeding more often, to increase hydration
- massaging the baby’s stomach
A number of home remedies can help with newborn grunting. Depending on the cause, they include:
Learning to pass stools
When a newborn is learning to pass stools, grunting is usually normal and does not require treatment.
The grunting often stops when the newborn learns to relax their pelvic floor and the stomach muscles strengthen. This usually happens at a few months of age.
If the baby seems to have trouble passing stool, rubbing petroleum jelly on their anus can help. However, doing so too often can prevent the baby from learning to pass stool on their own.
Irregular breathing
Irregular breathing patterns are not usually a cause for concern, unless the newborn shows signs of breathing difficulties.
A baby monitor can help a caregiver to check for indications of abnormal breathing when the newborn is asleep. Some people also use movement monitors, which sound an alarm if the baby stops moving for longer than usual.
Trapped mucus
A nasal aspirator can help, if a newborn is grunting because mucus is trapped in their airways.
GER
The following home remedies can help to address GER in newborns:
- feeding the baby little and often
- feeding the baby more slowly
- avoiding bottle nipples with large holes, which can cause too fast a flow
- adding a little oatmeal to thicken milk or formula, but check with a doctor first
- burping the baby more often
If these home remedies do not help, the newborn may have a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Doctors tend to test for GERD if the newborn’s digestive symptoms show no improvement, if they are not gaining weight, or if they have symptoms that can indicate lung problems. Some of these symptoms are listed below.
Share on Pinterest It is essential to seek urgent medical attention if the newborn seems distressed, has a fever, or pauses between breaths.
Grunting may indicate a problem if the newborn:
- seems distressed
- regularly grunts at the end of a breath
- has a fever
- has a blue tinge in the lips or tongue
- pauses between breaths
- flares their nostrils
- draws in their chest as they breath
These symptoms can indicate difficulty breathing. If the newborn has any of these symptoms, seek urgent medical attention.
The doctor will most likely use an X-ray when making a diagnosis. In 2016, researchers reported that chest radiography is essential in determining the cause of respiratory distress in newborns.
Below, we describe other severe issues that can cause newborns to grunt. If a newborn has any of the following symptoms, seek medical attention right away. They may require emergency treatment.
Meningitis
In addition to grunting, symptoms of meningitis in a newborn can include:
- fever
- vomiting
- floppiness of the body
- skin blotches or a rash
- an unusual cry
Sepsis
Sepsis is commonly described as blood poisoning. In addition to grunting, symptoms in a newborn can include:
- fever
- irritability
- breathing problems
- confusion
- floppiness of the body
- pauses of more than 10 seconds between breaths
- reduced urination
- jaundice
Heart failure
In addition to grunting, symptoms of heart failure in a newborn can include:
- inability to gain weight
- shortness of breath
- falling asleep during feedings or being too tired to feed
- coughing and lung congestion
- sweating
Newborns tend to grunt when they are developing the muscle strength needed to pass stool.
The grunting is usually not a cause for concern. However, if it accompanies certain symptoms, the grunting can indicate an underlying condition.
If a newborn is grunting and has any of the more severe symptoms listed above, seek urgent medical care.
Last medically reviewed on June 25, 2018
- Respiratory
- Acid Reflux / GERD
- GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
- Pediatrics / Children’s Health
- Parenthood
How we reviewed this article:
Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Diagnosis of GER & GERD in infants. (2015, April)
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/acid-reflux-ger-gerd-infants/diagnosis - Di Lorenzo, C. (2013, December). Other functional gastrointestinal disorders in infants and young children. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 57, 36–38
https://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2013/12001/Other_Functional_Gastrointestinal_Disorders_in.12.aspx - Gallacher, D. J., Hart, K., & Kotecha, S. (2016, March). Common respiratory conditions of the newborn. Breathe, 12(1), 30–42
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818233/ - Oatmeal: The safer alternative for infants & children who need thicker food. (2016, April 18)
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/abdominal/Pages/Oatmeal-The-Safer-Alternative-Need-Thicker-Food.aspx
Baby Grunting in Sleep and Other Sleep Sounds, Explained
Surprise: “Sleeping like a baby” sounds a lot like a stuffed-up grandpa taking a noisy midday snooze in the recliner! The truth is, babies make lots of weird noises while sleeping. In fact, experts confirm that newborn sleep is, indeed, not at all quiet. And while there are many totally normal baby sleep sounds that require not an ounce of worry. some baby grunting, whistling, and gurgling noises can be cause for concern. The trick? Knowing which baby sleep sounds and grunts are which. Here’s help!
Why is my baby making sounds while sleeping?
A few nights of snoozing next to your baby might leave you wondering: Why is my newborn such a noisy sleeper? It turns out, there’s a lot of biology to blame.
- Babies breathe out their noses. Up until your baby reaches 3 to 4 months old, they only breathe through their nose. And since their nasal passages are so teeny, it only takes small bits of mucus, breastmilk, or formula to migrate to the back of your baby’s small nasal passages, causing all sorts of congested-related sleep noises. (PS: This is why newborn congestion is common even when your baby doesn’t have a cold.)
- They’re still developing. Since your newborn’s respiratory and digestive systems aren’t fully developed yet, they’re both working extra hard to get their jobs done. And with all that extra work, comes extra sleep sounds, too. For instance, since babies are just learning how to regulate their breathing, you’ll likely overhear brief periods when their breathing speeds up or slows down when they’re snoozing.
- Babies are noisy poopers. Babies are not yet adept at relaxing their pelvic floor or using their tummy muscles to help move their bowels quietly. The result: Noisy grunting and straining when Baby has to make a number two! Though this is sometimes dubbed grunting baby syndrome, it’s totally normal and nothing to worry about.
- Babies experience many sleep transitions. Newborn babies cycle through just sleep stages—REM sleep (aka “active sleep”) and NREM “quiet sleep”—every 45 to 50 minutes. Once your baby reaches 3 to 4 months old, those two sleep stages turn into four.…which is how many sleep stages adults have. Even still, your little one’s sleep cycle—the full circuit from light to deep to light NREM sleep, plus a bit of REM—still lasts less than 60 minutes. So that means about every hour your sweet pea will enter a light sleep, making them more prone to moving around, briefly waking, and making short moans or squawks.
- Babies spend a lot of time in active sleep. Forty to 50% of your baby’s sleepytime is in memory-boosting REM sleep. (Meanwhile, grownups spend a mere 15% of their ZZZs lulling in REM.) REM sleep is a lighter sleep where babies are in a more active sleep state. That means your little one’s sleep will be marked by eye-fluttering, an elevated heart rate, wiggles, squirmies, and outbursts of various noises, like cries, whines, and whimpers.
- Babies are hungry a lot. Babies aren’t exactly subtle about their hunger…even when they’re dozing! That means you might hear your little one make rooting noises, like lip-smacking and suckling, when asleep in the bassinet. Since these sounds may be a sign that your little one will wake up hungry soon, you may want to preemptively feed your noisy sleeper.
Baby Grunting and Other Typical Newborn Sleep Sounds
Some typical sounds that baby will make while sleeping you might hear—and the reasons behind them—include:
- Whistling and rattling: Thanks to your newborn’s narrow nasal passage, whistling can go hand-in-hand with each inhale.
- Snorting: This is also associated with congestion and tends to occur when your newborn is in deep sleep. (Snorting, whistling, and rattling sleep sounds often calm down by the time your baby reaches about 6 months old.)
- Gurgling: Babies don’t yet reflexively swallow all of their saliva, so when it pools at the back of their mouth and air passes through, you’ll hear gurgling sounds while your baby sleeps.
- Hiccupping: It’s thought that newborns and infants are especially prone to hiccupping in their sleep thanks to gulping air during their last feed before bedtime.
- Whimpering, crying, groaning: If your little one momentarily cries or whimpers while sleeping, it’s likely just a sign that they’re transitioning from light sleep to deep sleep.
- Rumbling, burping, passing gas: Your infant’s only jobs right now are eating, pooping, and sleeping, which means that their developing digestive system is getting an around-the-clock workout—including during sleepy time.
- Baby grunting: When your baby grunts while sleeping, it often means that they’re adjusting to having bowel movements. Newbies are still getting used to using their abdominal muscles to move poop and gas through their system. (There are times, however, when newborn grunting during sleep could be worrisome. More on that below.)
- Lip-smacking: Is your newborn dreaming of a feed? Maybe! It’s quite common to hear lip-smacking and rooting noises from your wee one while they sleep. Be prepared: They’ll likely wake soon looking for the real deal.
Breathing Sounds: Typical Sounds Newborns Make
Since your baby’s airway is softer and narrower than yours, they’re more prone to loud breathing noises. especially when snoozing. Plus, babies naturally breathe faster than older children and grownups. In fact, your newborn’s breathing rate is about 40 to 60 breaths per minute, slowing to a still-fast 30 to 40 times a minute when sleeping. (For context, your at-rest respiration rate is likely between 12 and 16 breaths a minute.)
Beyond being fast, your newborn’s breathing is often irregular, too. While this not-quite-consistent breathing pattern might be startling, for most babies, it’s completely normal. Here’s what’s going on:
- Periodic Breathing. During active REM sleep, babies twitch and jerk their teeny arms legs. and their breathing can get a little jerky, too. This is called normal periodic breathing of infancy and it’s when your baby breathes fast several times, then has a brief rest for 10 seconds or less, then starts up again. Scary, right?! But know that these brief pauses in breathing are normal and something your baby will outgrow by about 6 months. That said, if your baby’s skin color changes during the pauses—or if you’re worried—contact your child’s healthcare provider ASAP.
- Transient Rapid Breathing. When fluid builds up in your newborn’s lungs it can make it difficult for the lung’s air sacs to stay open. The result: Rapid breathing followed by progressively deeper breaths. The good news is that normal breathing usually returns within a minute or so. and your baby most often will stop experiencing this in 48 hours or less. This condition, called transient tachypnea of the newborn, is most common in boys, early-term babies, those delivered by c-section, twins, and babies whose moms have diabetes or asthma.
- Laryngomalacia.When babies are born with floppy larynx tissue, it can fall toward their airway, causing partial obstruction, which makes for noisy breathing. especially when tots are laying on their back, which is the safest sleep position. This is the most common cause of noisy breathing in infants and for about 80% of babies, laryngomalacia resolves on its own.
When to Worry About Baby Grunting and Other Sleep Sounds
Most of the time your squeaking, gurgling, burping snoozer is A-okay! But there are times when baby sleep sounds signal something bigger is going on. Listen up for these noises:
- Fast breathing of over 40 breaths a minute
- Rhythmic grunting during breathing. especially when paired with flared nostrils
- An extra-long exhale sound
- Whistling sound each time your baby breathes out
These scary sleep sounds could indicate that your baby has respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), bronchiolitis, or respiratory distress syndrome. It’s important that you contact your healthcare provider immediately for guidance.
When Typical Baby Grunting and Other Sleep Sounds Keep You Awake
It’s hard not to tune into every little noise that emerges from your precious new baby! But if every wayward toot and gurgle wakes you from a solid slumber, consider turning on some white noise. Not only will white noise lull your baby to a calming sleep, but white noise acts as a “blanket of sound” for you, drowning out baby’s sleep sounds. (Don’t worry: You’ll still hear your baby cry.) While it may be tempting to relocate your noisy newborn to their nursery, the American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents to room-share with their little one for at least 6 months. This practice alone can decrease the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%.
When do babies sleep sounds stop?
If you’ve ever shared a bed with a snorer you know that there’s no guarantee that all sleep sounds stop after a certain age! But certain baby noises do tend to quiet after a few months. For instance, a few months in, your baby’s lungs and digestive system start figuring their jobs out, which results in quieter sleep. At the same time, once your nugget reaches 3 to 6 months old, they start spending less sleepytime in active, noisy REM sleep and more time in quieter deep sleep. To help your baby achieve quiet, restful sleep, consider the following:
- Feed your baby in a more upright position, especially before sleep.
- Burp your baby after feeds, especially before sleep.
- During the day, bicycle Baby’s legs and gently press their knees to their tummy to help reduce bowel-related strain and grunting.
- Offer a dream feed.
- Learn your baby’s sleepytime cues and wake windows.
- Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
- Use white noise to soothe your baby—and muffle potentially sleep-disturbing sounds. The best white noise machines also mimic womb-sounds, like Dr. Harvey Karp’s SNOObie and SNOObear.
For more advice on how to set your baby up for sleep success, check out “The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep.”
Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Connect with us at [email protected].
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.
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