Why does wooden furniture creak at night?

Updated in October 2026

It's early in the morning, the house is quiet, and suddenly there's a sharp snap coming from the closet or the bed. It happens to almost everyone, and there's a very simple physical explanation: wood continues to react to its environment throughout its entire life.

In this article, we explain why wooden furniture creaks (or “thunders,” as it’s called in many Latin American countries) at night, when it’s normal and when you should have the furniture inspected, and what you can do to eliminate the noise or minimize it.

Why Does Wooden Furniture Creak?

Wood is a hygroscopic material: it absorbs and releases moisture from the air until it reaches equilibrium with it. As it does so, it changes size slightly, especially perpendicular to the grain. These movements are measured in tenths of a millimeter, but they are enough to cause one piece to rub against another at a joint, a hinge, or a screw, suddenly releasing energy—that is the creak.

Three factors cause it:

• Temperature changes: When the heat is turned off or as the temperature drops at night, the wood shrinks.
• Changes in humidity: The relative humidity of the air varies between day and night, and wood adapts to these changes.
• Stresses at joints: dowels, joints, screws, and hardware concentrate the movements of several parts at once.

Why are they louder at night?

Furniture creaks at all hours, but at night two things happen simultaneously. First, the temperature drops, and the wood shrinks during those hours. Second, the background noise disappears: a click that would go unnoticed during the day sounds clearly in a silent room.

That's why creaking sounds are more common in the fall and winter, when the heat dries out the air during the day and is turned off at night. The fluctuations in temperature and humidity are greater, and the wood moves more.

If you're wondering whether the creaking of furniture has any spiritual significance: there's no evidence of that. It's a physical phenomenon—the same one that causes a hardwood floor or a wooden staircase to creak.

Is this normal? When to be concerned

In the vast majority of cases, the cracking sound is harmless. This chart helps you tell the difference:

Solid wood furniture creaks a little more than particleboard furniture during the first few weeks, precisely because wood is a living material. We explain this in our article on what solid wood is.

Why Does a Wooden Bed Creak, and How Can You Fix It?

The bed is the piece of furniture that stands out the most, because it supports weight and movement every night. If it creaks when you roll over, the cause is almost never the wood itself, but rather one of the following:

• Frame screws or bolts: These loosen with use. Tighten them without using excessive force, especially at the joints between the side panels and the headboard.
• Slats on the box spring: A slat that rubs against its support creaks with every movement. A little wax or dry soap on the supports is usually enough.
• Legs that don't provide proper support: if the floor isn't level, the bed will tilt diagonally. Level it with felt pads or shims.
• Touch the wall: move the headboard back a couple of centimeters.

Well-assembled solid-wood beds are among the quietest and sturdiest pieces of furniture, but it’s a good idea to check their joints once a year, just like any piece of furniture used daily. If it’s a chair that’s creaking, our guide to repairing a wooden chair explains how to reinforce the joints.

How to Prevent Wooden Furniture from Creaking

It can't be eliminated entirely, but it can be minimized:

1. Control humidity: Keep the relative humidity between 40% and 60%. An inexpensive hygrometer will tell you where you stand; a humidifier in the winter or a dehumidifier in humid areas will do the rest.
2. Keep furniture away from heat sources: leave at least 30 cm between the furniture and radiators, heaters, or hot air vents.
3. Avoid sudden changes: a stable nighttime temperature reduces movement in the wood.
4. Nourish the wood: Oil-finished furniture benefits from a fresh coat every one or two years. We explain this in our article on tung oil.
5. Check screws and hardware: once a year, or as soon as you notice the first sign of a rattle when using the furniture.
6. Put felt pads on the legs: they prevent friction with the floor and absorb minor unevenness.

If your home has high humidity, check your closets as well: in our guide to removing moisture from a wooden closet, we explain how to control it.