Baby grunts in sleep in crib but not during contact naps

[Bird13198]

My 6week old baby sleeps silently when on our chest or in his pram if we’re out for hours at a time but as soon as we lay him in the crib at night he will toss and grunt and make really loud noises every 5-10mins startling us awake so we cannot sleep. He still sleeps for around 3hrs before needing a feed but he is SO loud. We are having to do shifts so that we can get sleep in the spare room but means we are only getting about 4hrs sleep a night and are exhausted. cosleeping is an option but also leads to us having no sleep as we are not comfortable doing this really.

He is formula fed now and we are going to try switching to a comfort brand…we have though possibly this could be a dairy intolerance as he appears in discomfort, even though he’s asleep, but seems strange as only happens in the crib. Any advice for some seriously sleep deprived parents!?

Congratulations! Babies are really noisy in the beginning. I couldn't sleep either so I played YouTube sleep music.

Too cold? Too hot? Sounds like something is uncomfortable for the baby. Although grunting is usually associated with needing a burp.

Could be as baby is lying flat in crib - ours had reflux and we angled the mattress a little so she was no longer flat and it did help. Also swaddling helped as no more thrashing around but I know not everyone likes swaddling.

The grunting/snuffling noises do seem to stop after a few weeks - or you end up getting used to them and sleeping through them but those first few weeks when they are right next to your bed and every little snuffle wakes you up are hard.

They are just incredibly noisy. It doesn't last.

Babies are noisy. This is why my mum moved me to my own room after 1 night. With my own I used white noise to drown it out.

Some babies are just really noisy. It doesn't necessarily mean something needs fixing. Took me ages to realise this. It does stop eventually!

Babies are noisy! It's normal.

Also their guts are immature so squirming and bringing knees up is just because their digestive system getting used to working properly. Plus the switch to formula can take a little while for their tummy to get used to.

A comfort milk would not help with a dairy allergy, you would need a prescription dairy free formula.And I suspect baby would have a few more symptoms

One of mine used sound like a Guinea pig 😂, they're noisy buggers sometimes, it's normal if a little annoying.

One of mine did this. Just the middle one. He now is the most beautiful quiet sleeper but he is 8.

It feel your pain. I felt like I couldn't sleep properly. In my despair I saw the chiropractor and they very gently massaged his back. I'm talking hardly touched him. And then he did The Biggest Poo and fell fast asleep.

He was a huge baby, 9lb 15. The theory was that he had been so squashed up he was wonky. If you held him under his arms he kind of looked like a C shape. It could have been the chiro or it could just have been time but I was at my wits end and I think it worked.

Lying flat on their back in a bare crib. It leaves a lot of babies fidgety. They want to sleep curled up with you where it feels like the womb again.

Try swaddling and white noise. If you don't mind co-sleeping then maybe look up safe guidelines and keep at it. You say you don't get much sleep that way but you're not getting sleep with baby in the crib either. You'll get used to co-sleeping.

I co-slept until I felt safe enough putting mine to sleep on his front and he was so much happier.

Babies can be incredibly noisy sleepers. Agree that it doesn't necessarily mean there is something to be "fixed".

Try sleeping on his tummy?

All mine sounded like weird farmyards for the first 12 weeks. Settled after that. Try ear plugs. You will still wake when they cry but it will muffle the bizarre noises.

My 4 week old is like this, like you say only at night and generally only after 3am (not sure why this is).

I think it's wind related. Last night was the worst she has been and then this morning just after waking she had 2 huge poos so think she was a bit constipated / trapped gas x

@macaronicheezepleeze you’re totally right. Think I need to learn how to cosleep and once things calm down I’ll try the crib again. Feel so much pressure to have him sleeping soundly in the crib! I also think he’ll be happier on his front once he can roll 🙏🏼

My little man is 6 weeks old and makes so much noise, but yes it only seems to happen at night, during the day he sleeps flat and doesn’t make any noise at all, also it sounds like he is gurgling, has anyone experience if this, if so did anything help?

I think it’s totally normal…. Baby’s are noisy sleepers to begin with

We went through a lot with our little man since this! He’s now 16 weeks and is still grunty from 2am but sleeps quietly beforehand. We tried raising one side of the crib, worrying he was cold, acid reflux, baby gaviscon etc. but it’s defo just him getting used to his digestive system. We even tried a dairy free formula trial with the GP when he was 8 weeks but it turns out he’s just a noisy babe 🤣😅 earplugs, white noise, sharing the nights have helped us. But I think ultimately knowing that he was ok and just noisy is the main thing for us. Our only problem is trying to sleep next to him 😅😂🐷