Somniloquy, also known as sleep talking, is the act of talking while sleeping. It is a parasomnia , which means it is a behavior that takes place during sleep. Generally speaking, sleep talking is a common occurrence and is not usually a reason for concern or a sign of a medical condition. Sleeping talking is harmless although, at times, the content a sleep-talker speaks about may be quite graphic or alarming.
Sometimes, those who hear sleep talk may find it offensive. It may also keep bedmates from getting needed sleep.
Sleep talking affects around 5 percent of adults and up to 50 percent of children. Most people sleep talk when they are stressed or sleep-deprived. Additional research shows more than 66 percent of people have spoken in their sleep at some point.
Sleep talkers generally do not talk for more than 30 seconds at a time, but some may talk many times throughout the night. Sleep talkers may appear to be talking to themselves, but other times they seem to carry on conversations with others.
Sometimes sleep talkers whisper, and other times they may shout. Researchers haven't discovered all of the reasons people talk in their sleep. However, some research suggests that sleep talking might be related to a rapid eye movement REM sleep behavior disorder. It is believed that the region of the brain that stops speech and movement during sleep might not be functioning correctly in sleep talkers, leading to sleep talking.
It's a common belief that sleep talking can only occur while a person is dreaming. Sleep talking is usually harmless. In some cases, it might be a sign of a sleep disorder or other health condition.
REM sleep behavior disorder and night terrors may cause a person to shout during sleep. Night terrors are more common with children than they are with adults, and they can cause children to both sleep talk and sleepwalk. Sleep talking may also arise due to:. Sleep talking may run in families, although external factors are a stronger force.
Sleep talking may also co-occur with sleep disorders. There are rare cases where sleep talking in adults is related to seizures or mental health disorders. Sleep talking can occur at any sleep stage. In stages 1 and 2, a person may sleep talk an entire conversation except the sleep talker is the only one speaking , but in stages 3 and 4, the sleep talking may sound more like gibberish.
The severity of sleep talk and duration may vary. In mild cases, a person has less than one episode weekly. In moderate causes, sleep talking may occur more than once a week and even keep a bedmate awake. Severe episodes tend to be on a nightly basis and may involve frequent episodes, keeping others awake consistently as a result.
For some people, sleep talking is a short-term problem and can be changed by practicing a healthy lifestyle. Then take note of everything of importance that could cause a somniloquy.
Note the time you went to bed and woke up, how long it seemed to take you to fall asleep, any food or drink you consumed that day and even stressful incidents that could have affected your ability to get adequate shut-eye. Over time, you may notice a pattern emerge. Once that happens, you can take steps to minimize or eliminate it altogether. In fact, up until about the age of 10, about half of all kids will have a semi-regular sleep talking habit.
Fortunately, most people outgrow this habit. Usually, there's a biological explanation for this parasomnia. Chronic fatigue, stress, and medications are all linked to this condition. However, in the absence of any of these factors, there could be a spiritual component. Fortunately for those who sleep talk, the words usually contain little to no truth.
The person afflicted is expressing audible noises or words in an unconscious state, and therefore has little capacity to discern between a real topic or a dream. Rachael is a content writer for Sleep Advisor who loves combining her enthusiasm for writing and wellness. Embracing the remote work life, she occasionally takes her work on the road and lives out her travel writer pipe dream. Lori A. She practices private counseling part-time and serves as the national chair for the Neurocounseling Interest Network.
She has presented workshops internationally on issues including clinical supervision, neurofeedback, epigenetics, and self-regulation. Transparency Disclosure — We may receive a referral fee at no additional cost to the buyer for products purchased through the links on our site or other applicable pages. To learn more, please read our full disclosure page here.
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Last Updated On August 25, Russell-Chapin L. What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Talking? Who Experiences Sleep Talking? What Causes Talking in Your Sleep? How to Stop Sleep Talking. Frequently Asked Questions. Frequently Asked Questions Is it common in toddlers and children? Sources and References: [1] Ratan-NM.
National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. Rachael Gilpin. Content Writer. Follow Us On. Do they reveal secrets? Sleep talking can involve anything from whispering and mumbling to screaming or speaking in full sentences. However, talking in your sleep is not considered a product of consciousness. Sleep talking is a normal, harmless condition that occurs in both children and adults.
There is no known treatment, however practicing proper sleep habits, mitigating stress, and practicing the tips above should help relieve some of the symptoms. There is no specific treatment for talking in your sleep. Most of the time, sleep talking can resolve itself with proper sleep habits. However, if your sleep talking persists, consider seeing a doctor.
There may be underlying factors at play such as more serious sleep or anxiety disorders. Getting enough sleep is so important in preventing sleep talking and achieving the quality of sleep you need starts with your sleep environment.
All Things Snooze. Keep a Sleep Diary In order to get to the bottom of what may be causing you to talk in your sleep, keep a sleep diary to track your sleeping patterns. Limit Caffeine and Alcohol Not only is drinking alcohol and caffeine right before bed bad for your quality of sleep, but alcohol can also increase your chances of sleep talking.
Eat Light and Healthy Heavy meals full of refined carbs can raise your likelihood of developing insomnia. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine One of the main ways to stop sleep talking is to minimize stress. What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Talking? The severity of sleep talking can be defined as the below: Mild : Sleep talking occurs once a month or less.
Moderate : Sleep talking occurs once a week. Severe : Sleep talking occurs every night. What Causes Sleep Talking? Is There a Treatment for Sleep Talking? Redecorating your bedroom can be exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. From choosing the right mattress size King? Unfortunately, the remnants of [
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