Your baby's first laugh is one of the cutest – and most heartwarming – milestones, signaling their blossoming social, communication, and emotional development.
Knowing when babies start laughing, and understanding the reasons behind their giggles, can help you encourage this delightful behavior and appreciate its role in their growth.
While most babies begin laughing around the same age, it’s important to remember that every baby is unique and, just like anything baby-related, some may reach the laughing milestone earlier or later than others.
{{table_of_contents}}
When Do Babies Start Laughing?
Social, communication, and emotional milestones such as laughing come with age. Most babies naturally begin laughing, in the form of giggles, around 3 to 4 months old, to show happiness or joy. Belly laughs typically start by 5 to 6 months. With that said, all babies develop at their own pace, so some may laugh earlier or later.
When Do Babies Start Giggling?
Before babies start laughing out loud, they typically begin giggling, which may start around 3 to 4 months. As they continue to grow, babies often begin to laugh hysterically, bringing even more delight to those around them.
Giggling may sound like quieter, high-pitched chuckles and is usually the first step toward full laughter. You might notice your baby giggling in response to tickles, funny faces, or playful sounds.
While newborns are unlikely to giggle, other communication sounds such as when babies start to coo are proof that they are content – and are precursors to future baby giggles.
{{form-test}}
When Do Babies Laugh Hysterically?
You may start seeing your baby laugh hysterically around 5 to 6 months of age. This kind of laughter often occurs during moments of heightened amusement, such as watching pets do something silly or engaging in playful interactions with family members.
Hysterical laughter signals that your baby is developing their sense of humor. It also signals they are becoming more able to express their excitement and joy and connect with others.
Why Do Babies Laugh?
Laughter is more than just an expression of joy for babies – it’s a key part of their development.
- Building Emotional Bonds: Laughter, like smiling, is one of the earliest ways babies can form emotional connections with their caregivers. Shared moments of laughter strengthen the bond between you and your baby and create a sense of safety and trust for them. Research shows that playful interactions, including laughter, are highly rewarding for both babies and parents.
- Encouraging Early Communication: Before babies can speak, they use laughter as an early form of communication. A giggle might signal contentment or be used as a response to something they find funny. Laughter also reinforces their ability to engage with others and recognize shared experiences.
- Fostering Social Skills: Laughter helps babies explore social dynamics and connect with the world around them. Over time, they learn to initiate laughter to get a response, showing a growing awareness of how interactions work. This is one of the earliest ways babies begin to develop social skills and emotional intelligence.
Baby laughter is more than just adorable – it’s an essential part of your baby’s journey toward connecting, communicating, and thriving in their environment.
How to Make Your Baby Laugh
Encouraging your baby to laugh is a rewarding experience that strengthens your bond while promoting their emotional development. Even from the newborn stage, playful interactions are a wonderful way to bond with your baby and build their sense of trust and security.
Here are some proven ways to make your baby laugh:
- Play Peek-a-Boo: This timeless game delights babies with its element of surprise. It’s also a great way to help them learn the concept of object permanence, which can help them if they struggle with separation anxiety.
- Gentle Tickling: Soft tickles on the tummy or feet often trigger giggles and laughter.
- Funny Faces and Noises: Infants are drawn to exaggerated expressions and silly sounds.
- Interactive Play: Activities like bouncing them on your knee or clapping together are engaging and fun.
- Songs and Rhymes: Singing nursery rhymes with animated gestures keeps infants entertained. (Lullabies probably will make your baby sleepy, not laugh)
Why Do Babies Laugh in Their Sleep?
Sometimes, babies even laugh in their sleep! Baby laughter usually occurs during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep cycles, which is the time during sleep that their brain is processing new information. Reflexive laughter in sleep is entirely normal and reflects healthy neurological development. Some think it could be related to your baby dreaming.
Most of the time, sleep laughter won’t disturb your baby’s rest. However, if you think your baby does wake up from it, download the Smart Sleep Coach by PampersTM app to get guidance on how to calm and settle them back to sleep (or prevent the wake ups all together).
The Smart Sleep Coach app also offers other proven sleep-inducing tools including a smart age-appropriate Sleep Schedule and step-by-step baby sleep training programs.
If you have any other questions about your baby’s sleep beyond laughing, this free 3-minute sleep quiz helps create a personalized plan to establish healthy sleep habits and ensure your baby gets the rest they need to thrive.
Why Hasn’t My Baby Started Laughing Yet?
If your baby hasn’t started laughing by 4-months-old, don’t worry! Oftentimes it’s because they are working on another developmental milestone such as rolling over, or have yet to find anything worth laughing at. Some babies are naturally quieter, so not laughing yet is part of their temperament.
If your baby hasn’t laughed by 6-months-old and you notice delays in other areas such as smiling, babbling, or making eye contact, speak to your pediatrician for personalized guidance.
The Next Big Milestones After Laughing
Once your baby starts laughing, you can look forward to other fun development milestones. These may include:
- Babbling (4-6 months): When babies begin to communicate by experimenting with different sounds and tones.
- Sitting Up (around 6 months): Many infants develop the strength and coordination to start sitting up without support around their half birthday.
- Crawling (6-10 months): When babies start crawling marks the beginning of greater exploration and mobility as your baby learns to navigate their surroundings.
Final Thoughts
Laughing is one of the earliest social behaviors your baby develops. It also is an exciting new way they can communicate with you!
While some infants start giggling and laughing in the first few months of life, others may take a bit longer to reach this milestone. Every baby is different, and that includes how and when they communicate.
By engaging in playful interactions, you can nurture your baby’s laughter and strengthen your bond. If you have any concerns about their progress in any way, always consult your healthcare provider – it’s what they are there for.
