Why You May Hear Creaking Noises at Night

You’re sleeping and you suddenly wake up from an unusual noise coming from inside your home. Your mind immediately jumps to the worst-case scenario, assuming that someone has entered your home or is trying to break in. Before you go into panic mode, you should try and find a logical explanation for these noises — and trust us, there are quite a few.

Bright Side would like to calm you down and propose 7 reasons why your house might be making various noises at night.

1. Wood, metal, and concrete expand based on changes in temperature.

The temperature in your house changes a lot at night in comparison to the rest of the day. The humidity levels are shifting, and wood, metal, and concrete react to that change by expanding. For example, if a wooden surface is kept warm during the day but cools off at night, it’s only natural that it will be affected. That’s why it can make unusual noises that are enough to give you a heart attack late at night.

2. Your water pipes might need some securing.

There are several different noises that your pipes can make during the day, especially at night. It could sound like banging or whistling or even humming, but it’s not a ghost that’s causing the issue. You might be having trouble with the water flow or draining problems. Also, many houses often experience loose pipes that result in water dripping in the sink, and they desperately need some securing.

3. A new house makes noises while settling.

If you just moved into a brand new house and it keeps creaking and banging every single night, don’t worry. All these noises are just the building’s reaction to temperature changes. That’s because new houses are still very humid from all the materials that were used to build them. So when they start to dry out, they expand, and therefore, are very noisy.

4. Loose screws are holding your wooden floor.

If your staircase is squeaking too much, and every time your cat goes up and down you think you have an intruder, here’s what you have to check. It’s possible that the screws holding the steps of the stairs have loosened up. Apart from tightening them, you should think about adding some extra screws for additional security. A serrated thread will probably be your best option for keeping the stairs in place and getting rid of any squeaking.

5. You might have mice in your walls.

Mice have the ability to reproduce in huge numbers, and your house walls are ideal for that. If you’ve noticed small holes on the baseboards or the walls, then you’re probably housing loads of them. What you need to do is lure them out of their hiding place with food.

You should find areas they have left their droppings at and place various traps with cheese or peanut butter there. When they feel hungry, they’ll come out and probably eat your bait.

6. Your roof gutters are used by pests to enter your home.

Pests like mice can block your gutters and overflow your backyard with water. They can also use the gutters as a hiding place until they can enter your home through the roof. The pile of leaves that may be left on your gutters is an excellent help for the pests to achieve their goal. That’s why keeping them clean is the first step to keep annoying rodents away.

Another solution would be to put a mesh screen at the downspout pipe so that nothing can climb up to your roof.

7. You just watched a horror movie and are imagining things.

According to psychologists, our brains fill with fear and distress after watching a horror movie. Our entire bodies are stimulated and expect an invisible threat to attack. Our mental focus sharpens, our adrenaline rises, and our hearts start pounding fast.

A psychology professor advises that whenever we’re overcome with anxiety after watching a scary movie, we should do the following. Get closer to your fear and ask yourself how possible that hypothetical scenario is. For example, if you’re afraid that a murderer will enter your home, ask yourself if that’s something that’s really possible or not.

Do you ever hear weird noises late at night? Do you get paranoid with fear or do you try to figure it out based on logic?