Newborn Grunting & Squirming While Sleeping – Causes & Tips for Parents

Newborn babies often make many different sounds and movements at times, especially when they are sleeping, grunting and squirming. These sounds could be quite fascinating and worrying for most new parents. You find yourself wondering if these sounds would suggest that a child is feeling uncomfortable or has some health condition.

So, most newborn grunting and squirming are normal and often associated with the physiological development processes of your baby. This article will help you understand some common causes behind the behavior. It will give you some tips on how to ease up your baby’s sleep and guide you on when to seek medical attention.

What Causes Newborn Grunting & Squirming?

Some factors cause a newborn to grunt and squirm during sleep. Such acts can be quite related to normal physiological development or stages of normal developmental physiology. They indicate nothing wrong in most cases.

Now, let’s look at the common causes:

Digestive Development

A newborn’s digestive system is so immature that it continues to learn how to digest. One way this immaturity can occur itself is in sounds and motions: grunting to pass gas or stool. The abdominal muscles are weak, and digestion is a labor so digestion can be hard with grunting, squirming, and straining. These noises tend to decrease with time as they learn to digest more efficiently.

Active Sleep Phase

Newborns experience an active sleep stage, which is almost like REM or Rapid Eye Movement in adult sleep. In this stage, they tend to move about, grant, and face changes. This stage is essential because the baby is developing mostly in the brain and most of the dreams happen here as well. At this stage, there are always noisy movements, which are very healthy for the cycle of sleep.

Nasal Congestion

Most babies breathe through their noses. Even with slight obstruction by mucus, the little nasal blockage can make the newborn grunt as they try to breathe deep and clearly. Due to tiny nasal passages, it is not long until a newborn becomes congested, noise levels are increased, and sleep is very much affected.

Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER)

Reflux, or movement of stomach contents up into the esophagus, is common in infants because their digestive tract is still developing. It can cause discomfort that can lead to squirming and grunting. Mild reflux is generally not very harmful and typically resolves as the digestive system matures. In the case of severe symptoms, go to the pediatrician.

Passing Gas and Bowel Movements

New-born babies‘ muscles are not fully in their control, simple acts like passing gas or stool become big challenges for them. They may grunt, squirm, and even look uncomfortable at their attempt to exercise this function, though it is a normal process that would improve with time.

Startle (Moro) Reflex

Another reason some babies appear agitated when sleeping is the Moro reflex, or startle reflex. It causes them to stretch out their arms and legs with minimal sound if they happen to be alarmed by some noise or swift movement. The Moro reflex is a natural characteristic of infancy and generally fades at around 3 to 4 months of age.

Is It Normal or Should You Be Concerned?

In most cases, grunting and squirming are typical parts of your baby’s early development and sleep cycle. But in some cases, there are some signs you have to look out for, which may mean they require medical attention.

When to Call the Doctor

Frequent High-Pitched Grunting: It is advisable to look at your baby and immediately you find out that he or she grunts with a squealing sound, then it could be some respiratory issue.
Labored Breathing: Some signs that may suggest there is an issue with the baby’s breathing include; when the baby has to open wide the nostrils when breathing, if the baby makes sounds such as ‘uh’ after each breath or if the baby’s chest sinks in with each breath. If you see any of these symptoms, you should take some time and consult a doctor.
Problems with feeding and poor weight gain: It might be a good idea to get your doctor to check out more possibilities of other digestive problems in babies if yours is not nursing well, spits up often or gains little weight.

Tips to Help Your Newborn Sleep Comfortably

To help your newborn gain a good rest, when you feel that the unusual sounds and movements during sleep are concerning, try the following tips:

Humidifier

A humidifier adds moisture to the air. This prevents the nasal passage from getting congested, keeping the airways moist. Babies whose nasal passages are clear are less likely to grunt from the nasal blocks. Also, clean the humidifier regularly to prevent mould build-up.

Gentle Tummy Time During the Day

Tummy time, while a parent is watching, can help strengthen the muscles of your baby, helping them to better digest food. Strengthening these muscles helps a baby be able to pass gas and have a bowel movement better, which may decrease nighttime grunting and squirming.

Raise the Head of the Crib by a Degree

If reflux seems to be an issue, try raising the head of the crib a few inches on your baby (approved methods are used for babies). Elevation of the head helps decrease episodes of reflux, as the stomach contents stay down and do not backtrack into the oesophagus, which may reduce discomfort and enhance sleep.

Burp Your Baby After Feeding

Proper burping allows air trapped in the baby’s digestive system to escape, thereby reducing gas which could force the baby to grunt and squirm around. Burping helps the baby’s stomach to settle down, too-which could lead to improved quality sleep.

Swaddle for Comfort

Swaddling mimics the tight space inside the womb and can reduce the movements linked to the Moro reflex. Swaddling makes your baby feel secure and prevents sudden movements that may disturb them sleeping. Just make sure that the swaddle is not too tight and still allows hip movement to prevent hip problems.

Try Upright Feeding Positions

Remember that, for infants who are at high risk for reflux, you can feed them in an upright position to minimize the chance that stomach contents might flow back up. In some cases, you can keep your baby upright even after feeding to help with digestion and avoid discomfort.

Prepare a Soothing and Quiet Environment

Less noise and pale lighting in the sleep environment will help him be deeply asleep. For background noise that may prevent startling awake, you can try using white noise machines or gentle lullabies.

FAQs

My newborn grunts and squirms all night. Is it normal?

Yes, that’s very normal. Newborns sleep in different cycles and are getting accustomed to life outside the womb. Snorting and squirming during sleep are normally natural in infants and tend to decrease as babies grow up.

Would my baby grunt due to pain?

No. Giving out grunting sometimes is related to regular physiological activities like digestion and respiratory regulation, but when your baby is agitated or breathes with difficulty, take him to a pediatrician.

Is it possible to stop my infant from grunting by changing feeding habits?

Yes, through small adjustment changes in feeding habits, prevent gastrointestinal discomfort that causes grunting. Examples are feeding him upright and burping right.

At what age do babies commonly stop grunting or thrashing about in their sleep?

Most babies grow out of these patterns as their bodies mature during the first couple of months of life. You may notice sleep becomes even quieter by three to six months.

Should I be using a baby monitor for all the nighttime sounds?

A baby monitor is excellent for tracking the noises and movement of your baby, but you do not want to overdo it to create undue anxiety. Routine checks are often enough.

Conclusion

Baby grunting and squirming in sleep are a normal accompaniment to early infancy. Associated sounds and movements can be related to typical development, such as digestive tract growth, active phases of sleep, and physical reflexes.

Understanding why these behaviors happen can make you feel more comfortable and can help your baby have a better night’s sleep. You can ensure that your little one rests peacefully by following some of the tips shown here, like using a humidifier, burping after feeding, and gentle tummy time. And most of these behaviors, remember, will disappear as your baby’s body matures, leaving you and your child with peaceful nights ahead.