Short answer
Because newborns are unbelievably noisy sleepers.
And while you’re being taught how to put a nappy on or bathe them, literally nobody is warning you about the noises they make. So when they start, it can be incredibly confronting. And frankly, sometimes very annoying.
They grunt. They snort. They squeak. They twitch. They make tiny goat noises. At times, they sound a lot like baby pterodactyls.
They breathe quickly, then slowly, then pause for several seconds just long enough for you to stare at their chest.
A lot of this is normal newborn sleep.
Newborn sleep is active
Newborns spend a lot of time in active sleep.
During active sleep they move, grimace, suck, vocalise and wake more easily. Their sleep does not look much like a peaceful adult lying motionless under a doona.
Breathing is also less regular in newborns.
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says newborn babies normally breathe faster than older children, can briefly breathe quickly and may pause for a few seconds. Their pattern generally becomes more regular as they mature.
Is newborn grunting and noisy breathing in sleep normal?
The useful question is not simply, ‘Can I hear the baby?’
It is, ‘Does the baby look comfortable and well?’
Short pauses, snuffling and strange little active-sleep noises can occur in healthy newborns.
Things I would take more seriously include persistent grunting with breathing effort, stridor, nostril flaring, or recession where the skin sucks in between the ribs or around the neck.
Get urgent help if
Seek urgent assessment if your baby is struggling to breathe, becomes blue or grey around the lips, is markedly drowsy or unresponsive, or cannot feed normally because breathing is difficult.
A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or above also needs prompt medical assessment.
Another sound worth recognising is a harsh, barking cough that sounds a bit like a seal. That can be croup, particularly if it comes with a hoarse cry or stridor, which is a harsh high-pitched sound when breathing in. Croup is more common from around 6 months of age than in newborns, but breathing difficulty at any age needs urgent assessment. If your baby is struggling to breathe, working hard to breathe, becoming blue or grey, or unable to feed because of their breathing, call 000 or go to emergency.
The reassuring bit
If your baby is pink, breathing comfortably, feeding normally and merely sounding like a badly maintained farm animal or a tiny prehistoric creature in their sleep, there is a good chance you are simply hearing newborn sleep.
You do not need to intervene every time they make a noise.
Sometimes waiting ten seconds tells you far more than immediately picking them up. Sometimes you may find yourself wishing newborn sleep came with a volume control.
The 3AM Newborn Guide is coming soon.
The free articles are here for you now. The guide, with feeding, sleep, safe sleep and red flags organised in one place, is still being finished.