This baby is famous on TikTok for moaning in his sleep – what do the experts say?

“I had no idea why he was making such a loud noise. As a first-time mom, it’s all so confusing. We kept waking him up by laughing about it,” Wakeling said. News week. (1)

No wonder the Wakelings felt this way, it can be kind of strange and confusing to hear such a loud noise coming from such a small person.

TikTok’s reaction

When Wakeling first posted the video, she didn’t realize that other parents had had similar experiences with their own babies.

The video later went viral and has been viewed over 280,000 times since its release in late June.

Many parents have shared their own experiences of hearing funny baby noises while falling asleep in the comments section. For many parents, these moaning and groaning sounds are a source of comfort, knowing that their child will soon fall asleep, giving them a much-needed break.

“I call it the low battery noise,” commented one mother.

“That sound always excited me so much because I knew he was about to fall asleep,” another parent commented on Wakeling’s video.

Before posting the video, Wakeling admitted she didn’t know so many other parents had had similar experiences.

“I was surprised that so many other babies were doing this, and I never knew another baby who did this. People thought it was funny and cute and used it as an opportunity to share about their babies, which is lovely,” Wakeling said in an interview with News week.

So how normal is it for babies to make moaning noises in their sleep?

Is it normal for babies to moan in their sleep?

Although it may be a little alarming at first to hear your baby moaning in their sleep, it is more common than you might think.

According to child sleep experts, it is completely normal for babies to make a lot of noise while they sleep.

“Most babies make A LOT of noises while they sleep. Newborns grunt, gurgle, and moan often, and this can be worrying if you’re just home from the hospital and don’t know what’s normal for your baby, but there’s usually nothing to worry about,” Natalie Nevares, baby sleep expert and founder of Mommywise, tells Sleepopolis.

Why do babies moan in their sleep? Expert opinion

Although a baby moaning can be a funny TikTok post for parents, babies make these sleep noises for a variety of reasons.

Most newborns make moaning noises while sleeping because they have a different sleep rhythm than adults.

“They spend 50 percent of their sleep time in REM sleep, a phase when our most vivid dreams occur. By comparison, adults only spend about 15 percent of their sleep time in REM sleep,” Maria Lopez, founder of pediatric sleep consultancy Not a Peep, tells Sleepopolis.

“Newborns under 3 months of age often make noise during their REM sleep cycles. This is unlike older adults, for whom REM sleep is silent. This stage of sleep in newborns at this age is characterized by vocalizations as well as grimaces and movements,” says Dr. Sarah Mitchell, baby sleep expert and founder of Helping Babies Sleep.

Babies have the unique ability to move and make sounds during REM sleep, making them noisy sleepers, Lopez says.

However, it is also common for babies to make noises in their sleep to calm themselves down.

“The most common reason babies moan or groan in their sleep is because they are going through a light sleep cycle and are trying to soothe themselves to get back into deeper sleep,” adds Nevares.

As funny as it is to hear your little baby moaning in the middle of a nap, it is also nature’s way of helping themselves sleep better.

When you should be concerned about your baby’s sleeping noises

Most of a baby’s sleep noises are harmless, but experts say there are some sounds you should pay attention to.

“The only sound that should be a warning signal is snoring. Unless there is a respiratory virus or known allergies, babies and children should never snore and parents should consult their doctor for advice,” says Lopez.

Sleep moaning is most common in newborns. If the moaning continues as the baby gets older, experts recommend paying attention to the sounds.

“When your baby is older and teething, moaning or groaning can be a sign of discomfort. If your baby is sleeping despite moaning or groaning, you can leave him alone, but if he wakes up and cries, he probably needs something from you,” adds Nevares.

As always, if you have any concerns about your child’s sleep health, it is best to consult your doctor.

Emma Ernst

Emma Ernst is an editorial intern at Sleepopolis. Emma is a rising senior at the University of South Carolina studying public relations and Spanish, is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and loves to talk about all things Midwest!