Have one of your family members ever told that you were talking in your sleep the night before? This can be quite disturbing to hear because you have no idea about what you've been talking about while asleep. It could be something embarrassing or a secret you may not want others to know. If this happens to you, maybe you want to know"Why do people talk in their sleep?" Keep reading to learn more about it.
What Is Sleep Talking
Sleep talking, also known as somniloquy, is the act of speaking while you're in deep sleep. It is an abnormal behavior and is a type of parasomnia that takes place when you're sleeping. However, it isn't considered a medical problem and is quite common. It may not be harmful for your health, but it could be quite damaging for your reputation because you may talk dirty, even R rated things during sleep. People around you may find your nighttime chatter a bit vulgar or offensive, even though each episode of your sleep talk may last no more than 30 seconds.
Some people have several episodes through the night. Some sleep talkers will talk clearly, while others may only mumble words that may be hard to understand. Sleep talkers usually talk to themselves, but some people may start their conversations with others. Some people may even shout while sleeping, so it is not easy for someone who shares a bedroom with a sleep talker to get enough sleep.
Why Do People Talk in Their Sleep?
Most people think they sleep talk during dreaming, but scientists haven't been able to confirm it yet. They believe talking can start at any time in any stage of sleep. The condition is usually harmless, but in rare cases, it indicates a more serious sleep disorder, such as sleep terrors and REM sleep behavior disorder. Also called night terrors, sleep terrors can make people to shout during sleep. It could cause a frightening scream, kicking or thrashing. Children with this condition often sleepwalk with sleep talk. REM sleep behavior disorder or RBD causes an individual to grunt, shout and act out their dreams in a violent manner.
Sleep talking is sometimes accompanied with a sleep-related eating disorder in which an individual eats while sleeping. Some other things can also lead to sleep talking such as emotional stress, certain medication, substance abuse, mental health disorder, and fever. Chronic sleep talking may be related to intercurrent sleep disturbances, which are usually created by other disorders such as sleep apnea. It means sleep talking itself won't cause any harm but may be a warning sign of an underlying health condition.
How to Treat Sleep Talking
Now that you know "Why do people talk in their sleep?" it may be clear that you don't usually need any treatment. You may consider talking to your healthcare provider if the problem persists for long. This will also help confirm if there is an underlying medical condition associated with your sleep talking that will be treated accordingly. You can also take certain measures to reduce the chances of having a sleep talking episode as listed below.
1. Reduce the Stress
Take steps to reduce stress because being stressed will increase your chances of having sleep talking episodes. Stress can even make those episodes more severe. Try meditation, do yoga, or engage in other relaxing activity to make your stress more manageable.
2. Have Enough Sleep
Not getting enough sleep will make you more susceptible to experiencing a sleep talking episode. Be sure to go to bed early and practice good sleep hygiene for better effects.
3. Be Aware of What You Drink and Eat
Drinking too much alcohol will also trigger sleep talking. It is especially harmful when consumed close to the bedtime. So, avoid drinking to reduce your talking time while asleep.
4. For Bed Partners
If your partner has issues with sleep talking, you may want to prepare yourself in advance to avoid disturbing your sleep. Using a white noise machine or silicone earplugs may help limit the disturbance caused by your partner. You may even consider sleeping in a separate room until your partner feels better.
More FAQs About Sleep Talking
Why do people talk in their sleep is definitely a common question, but there are many other frequently asked questions about sleeping talking. For instance:
1. Who Is More Susceptible to Talking in Sleep?
You should know the truth that so many people talk in their sleep. The condition is common in people everywhere around the world. More than 50% of children between 3 and 10 years of age talk during sleep. About 5% of adults experience the same. However, sleep talkers usually have no clue about their behavior.
2. Is There a Specific Time for Sleep Talk to Happen?
Research shows that sleep talking usually happens during NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep transitory arousals, but an individual may talk at any stage of sleep. These arousals usually happen when you cannot move from one NREM sleep stage to another. Your words will be clearer and louder when sleep talk takes place in REM sleep.
3. Can I Talk to a Sleep Talker?
It usually depends on the individual. You may be able to stop their sleep talk by waking them up if it's isolated sleep talking. They may start again once they go back to sleep. Waking them may prove helpful if they are talking due to REM disorder or another condition. Here's a video to help you learn more about it:
After you have known the related information about sleep talking, want to see a really funny sleep talking video of a baby?