Most of the grunts, squeaks, snuffles and twitches you hear from your baby at night are normal. Newborns spend a lot of time in active sleep, when they move, make noises and breathe irregularly, sometimes pausing for a few seconds before a burst of quicker breaths. What matters is how your baby looks: normal color, breathing without effort, and settling back into a regular rhythm. Grunting with every breath, struggling to breathe, a blue, gray or very pale color, or a long pause are not normal, and need urgent help.
Why is my baby so noisy when they sleep?
Babies cycle between active and quiet sleep. The AAP's guide to newborn sleep stages says a newborn's sleep is about equally divided between active (REM) and quiet (non-REM) sleep.
In active sleep your baby may twitch or jerk their arms or legs, and their eyes may move under closed lids. The AAP's newborn behavior guide adds that during light sleep babies can whimper, cry, groan or make other strange noises. In deep, quiet sleep the movements stop and your baby is harder to wake.
So a baby who sounds restless may still be asleep. If your baby is making noises but breathing comfortably with normal color, it's reasonable to watch and listen for a moment before picking them up. For more on how newborn sleep is organised, see newborn sleep patterns.
Which baby sleep sounds are normal?
| Sound or movement | What's usually going on |
|---|---|
| Grunts, groans, whimpers | Light or active sleep; pushing out a poop |
| Gurgling in the throat | Air passing through saliva or milk |
| Snuffling, whistling nose | Dried mucus in the nose |
| Sneezing | Clearing the nose |
| Hiccups | Common, often after a big feed |
| Brief twitches and jerks | Active sleep, soon after falling asleep |
| Irregular breathing, short pauses | Periodic breathing |
These explanations come from the AAP's newborn behavior guide, which also notes that throat gurgles tend to build up during sleep and that a stuffy nose can make feeding harder. For a blocked nose, see colds and congestion.
Is it normal for my baby to pause between breaths?
Short pauses are common and are called periodic breathing. The AAP describes breathing that is often irregular and may stop for 5 to 10 seconds, then restart with a burst of faster breaths before settling. The key reassurance is that your baby's skin color doesn't change during these pauses.
The AAP's newborn behavior guide says pauses of less than 10 seconds are normal if your baby is comfortable during them, and that a normal breathing rate is under 60 breaths a minute. Brief fast breathing can be normal too if it slows down within a minute or so.
AAP pages give different time frames for when periodic breathing settles, from about 1 month in the symptom checker to about 6 months in its sleep apnoea guide. Either way, it should become less noticeable over the first months.
When a pause isn't normal:
- In a newborn, a pause of more than 10 seconds, even if your baby then breathes normally: the AAP's newborn guide says to seek care straight away.
- A pause of more than 20 seconds, or any pause with a pale, blue or gray color: the AAP sleep apnoea guide says to call an ambulance, so call 911.
- Pauses together with other signs of illness: the NHS lists pausing when breathing or irregular breathing among breathing problems that can be a sign of serious illness, alongside working hard to breathe.
If your baby isn't breathing, call 911 and follow the call-taker's instructions. An infant first-aid course teaches you what to do.
When is grunting a sign of a problem?
Grunting during sleep or while doing a poop is common and usually nothing to worry about. Grunting becomes a red flag when it changes pattern:
- The AAP's newborn behavior guide lists new moaning or grunting noises with each breath as a reason to call an ambulance.
- The NHS says to call for emergency help if your baby is breathing very fast or having difficulty breathing, and notes they may make grunting noises or suck in their tummy when they breathe.
- The NHS also says very young babies with breathing problems may make a bleating sound like a lamb.
The difference is rhythm and effort. A grunt now and then, in an otherwise comfortable baby, is normal. A grunt on every breath, with fast breathing or the skin pulling in at the neck, ribs or tummy, is not.
Why does my baby twitch or jerk in their sleep?
The AAP says sudden jerks or twitches of the arms, hands or legs that happen only during sleep are most likely normal. They usually happen soon after your baby falls asleep and last a few seconds, though they can repeat.
The AAP says to suspect a seizure if the jerking happens while your baby is awake or lasts more than 10 seconds. The NHS lists a seizure as a reason to call for emergency help, so call 911 if you think your baby is having one. A video of the movements can help the doctor afterwards.
The startle (Moro) reflex is different: a brief stiffening with arms flung out and hands opening, usually after a noise or sudden movement. The AAP says it's frequent at birth and slowly fades by around 4 months. Wrapping can help some young babies with this; see swaddling.
Is it normal for a baby to snore?
Occasional snuffly snoring, especially with a blocked nose or a cold, is common. Snoring that happens most nights is different. The AAP's sleep apnoea guide lists frequent snoring and problems breathing at night as possible signs of obstructive sleep apnoea, and says to let your child's doctor know right away. Book a doctor visit if your baby snores most nights, and mention any pauses, gasps or restless sleep you've noticed.
What does noisy or squeaky breathing mean?
A repetitive, high-pitched squeak when your baby breathes in is called stridor. The AAP's stridor and laryngomalacia guide says laryngomalacia, a softness of the voice box, is a common cause in newborns. Symptoms usually start within days to weeks of birth and usually settle by about 1 year, though they can take until 18 months to 2 years to go completely.
The AAP says babies with noisy breathing should be checked for laryngomalacia, especially if they also have:
- difficulty feeding, or gasping or choking during feeds
- frequent spitting up and fussiness after feeds
- skin pulling in at the neck or between the ribs with each breath
- pauses in breathing during sleep
Whatever is causing noisy breathing, keep putting your baby on their back for every sleep, as the NHS SIDS advice recommends, unless your baby's own doctor gives you different individual advice. Don't use wedges or positioners; see safe sleep.
When to get help
On darker skin, the NHS says color changes may be easier to see on the palms, soles, lips, tongue or inside the cheeks.
Get medical advice straight away if your newborn had a breathing pause of more than 10 seconds and then recovered, or seems to be having mild trouble breathing. The AAP says to seek care now for both. Call your doctor or your pediatrician's after-hours nurse line, and if you can't get advice quickly, go to an emergency room.
Book a doctor visit soon if your baby snores most nights, has squeaky breathing that is new or getting louder, or has noisy breathing with feeding problems or frequent spitting up, or if you're unsure whether a sound is normal. A short video of the sound, and a note of when it happens and how long pauses last, is very helpful to show a doctor.
Trust your instincts. The NHS says to get immediate help if your baby is unwell and you think something is seriously wrong.
