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How loud is breathing?

10dBdistance not stated

Normal, calm breathing is about 10 dB. The CDC lists normal breathing at 10 dB, and Microsoft, BBC Future and Purdue University's noise chart give the same figure, none of them stating a distance.

Level
10 dBunweighted sound level
Daily limit
No daily limitNIOSH, at the loud end

What the numbers mean

How it was measured. Calm, normal breathing as listed in reference charts (CDC, Microsoft, BBC Future, Purdue University). Measurement distance and weighting not stated.

Breathing is one of the faintest sounds people regularly notice. Four independent charts agree on 10 dB: CDC's table of everyday sounds, Microsoft's Building 87 scale ('Calm Breathing 10dB'), BBC Future and Purdue University's noise comparison, which labels it 'barely audible'.

None of these sources gives a measurement distance, so treat 10 dB as a typical value for breathing heard close by in a quiet room. Heavier breathing after exercise, or breathing right next to your ear, will be louder.

In a very quiet room, breathing becomes surprisingly prominent. Visitors to Microsoft's anechoic chamber, which measures about -20 dB, can hear people breathing on the other side of the room, according to BBC Future.

Is it safe?

Below 85 dBA, the level NIOSH allows for a full 8-hour day. (This figure is not A-weighted; treat it as a rough guide.) At this level, sound is not a hearing risk however long it lasts, though it can still disturb sleep or concentration.

Protecting your hearing

No protection needed. If someone's breathing or snoring keeps you awake, soft foam earplugs or a steady background sound mask it easily.

Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.

Compared with sounds nearby

Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).

  • Air molecules (Brownian motion) (−24 to −23 dB): this has about 2,239× its sound energy and sounds about 10.2× as loud.
  • Threshold of hearing (0 dB): this has about 10× its sound energy and sounds about 2.0× as loud.
  • Ticking watch (20 dB): it has about 10× the sound energy of this and sounds about 2.0× as loud.
  • Whisper (20–30 dB): it has about 32× the sound energy of this and sounds about 2.8× as loud.

Questions

How many decibels is breathing?

About 10 dB, according to CDC, Microsoft, BBC Future and Purdue University charts.

Why can I hear my own breathing so clearly at night?

Breathing is only about 10 dB, but in a quiet bedroom there is little else to mask it. In Microsoft's anechoic chamber, at about -20 dB, visitors can hear people breathing across the room.

Sources

  1. What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? (archived copy, 31 Dec 2022), CDC National Center for Environmental Health. Supports: dB_low/dB_high: 10 dB.Normal breathing 10Checked 2026-11-02.
  2. Audio Lab | Microsoft: Inside B87, Microsoft. Supports: dB: 10 dB.Calm Breathing 10dBChecked 2026-11-02.
  3. Inside the quietest place on Earth, BBC Future. Supports: dB: 10 dB.a human whisper is about 30 decibels while the sound of someone breathing normally comes in at just 10 decibelsChecked 2026-11-02.
  4. Noise Comparisons (Noise Sources and Their Effects), Purdue University Department of Chemistry, Chemical Safety. Supports: dB: 10 dB, barely audible.Breathing 10 Barely audibleChecked 2026-11-02.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.