The sobbing respiration of the elderly is a manifestation of central respiratory failure, requiring immediate medical attention, keep the airway open and give oxygen, and actively find the cause of the disease, for the cause of the treatment. Sobbing respiration is a manifestation of central respiratory failure, most commonly seen in brainstem injury or hemorrhage, meningoencephalitis, occipital foramen magnum hernia and other brainstem lesions. The clinical manifestation of sobbing respiration is two consecutive shallow inhalations followed by a longer exhalation, just like the crying of a child after a big cry, which is the precursor symptom of respiratory arrest, and the patient may be in a coma or have a blurred consciousness, and the pupils are narrowed or slightly dilated. Elderly people who experience sobbing breathing should seek immediate medical attention, monitoring vital signs, connecting cardiac monitors, keeping the airway open and giving oxygen, depending on the patient’s condition, choosing intermittent or continuous oxygen, and adjusting the oxygen concentration and flow rate at any time. If necessary, give medication or tracheotomy, or mechanical ventilation such as ventilator-assisted breathing. When the old man has a sob-like breathing, we should improve the relevant examination such as head CT or magnetic resonance, actively search for the cause of the disease, and cooperate with the doctor to prevent the condition from worsening. Regardless of the cause of the sobbing respiration is a critical condition and should be actively rescued to avoid respiratory failure.