Sleep Talking: 4 Common Causes and 6 Ways to Stop Them

Sleep talking is not rare for people, it might be more common among children with neurosis and neurological instability.

The content of sleep talking is often similar to usual thinking, most of which is what you think about during the day. Let’s explore the sleep talking causes and treatments together.

What Is Sleep Talk?

Sleep talk or “somniloquy” is a type of parasomnia that can happen during any stage of sleep. It is defined as an unexpected vocalization that happens in the middle of sleep [1]. This vocalization could be gibberish, a word, or a full sentence.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, it is rather common for people to talk in their sleep, with a 60% to 65% chance of occurrence in a lifetime [2].

Sleep talking appears for various reasons. Severe sleep talking is a huge indicator of underlying sleep disorders.

Why Sleep Talking Occurs?

The reason why sleep talking occurs suddenly is still unknown. However, theory suggests that it could be caused by genetics [3].

Some may also have a higher likelihood of sleeptalking if they have existing mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.

Talking in your sleep is also associated with sleep apnea, sleepwalking, teeth grinding, and nightmares [3].

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4 Causes of Sleep Talking

While experts have yet to figure out what causes sleep talking, some factors may contribute to its occurrence. This includes:

• Stress: When you are too stressed or anxious, it can make it harder for your brain to transition into the sleep stages properly. This increases the likelihood of sleep talking [4].
• Genetic component: Genetics can also influence the occurrence of parasomnias like sleeptalking in both childhood and adulthood [4].
• Mental health conditions: Mental health issues or conditions such as PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety may also trigger sleep talking [5].
• Certain medications: Medications like anti-depressants can cause sleep talking. These medications increase muscle tension in REM sleep, leading to parasomnias such as sleep talking or sleep walking [3].

6 Ways To Stop Sleep Talking

If you are a sleep talker who wants to know how to treat this sleep-talking habit from appearing frequently, here are 6 methods that you can try.

1. Don’t overeat or stay too hungry before going to bed

Diet plays an important role in your sleep quality. Eating a heavy meal just before bedtime and going to bed hungry can disrupt your sleep patterns.

When you sleep immediately after eating, there will not be enough time for the food to digest well. This may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night with digestive issues. Similarly, if you go to bed hungry, you may find yourself waking up to stomach growls and hunger pangs. This affects the way you sleep.

2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help to prevent the occurrence of stress-related sleep talking [5]. CBT works by identifying and addressing unhelpful thinking patterns to improve your overall behavior and well-being.

In the case of stress, it means identifying your stress triggers, keeping track of them, and finding a solution to it. Engaging in CBT can help you learn and develop relaxation and meditation techniques such as breathwork, visualization, or guided meditation [6].

3. Actively participate in physical activities

Exercising can help to relieve stress and improve sleep quality. Start by doing simple exercises such as walking or jogging. You may also do all kinds of exercises like yoga, fitness, or gym workouts if you choose to. Pay attention to cultivating and improving your character. Take part in group activities, and develop a lively, cheerful, friendly, and social personality.

4. Keep a consistent sleep schedule

Set a sleep and wake schedule, making sure that you stick to it. Having a consistent sleep schedule helps to regulate your internal body clock or your circadian rhythm. A regulated circadian rhythm allows your brain to identify when it is time to sleep and wake up. This consistency and stability help reduce sleep-talking symptoms [7].

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5. Avoid alcohol consumption before bed

It is also best to avoid consuming any alcohol just before you are about to sleep. You are more susceptible to sleep-talking under the influence of alcohol. It can also affect your sleep quality at night. Hence, it is best to stay clear of it or consume only a glass during the day.

6. Engage in a relaxing activity before bed

It is not easy to fall asleep if you are in an anxious or stressed state. Spending some time to relax your body and mind can help you to set the mood for bedtime. Taking a hot bath, reading a book or meditating are examples of relaxing activities.

Additionally, listening to music can help you to relax before and during your sleep. You can also set a timer for your music-playing device. ShutEye® has a huge selection of sleep sounds and sleep music, to ensure your sleep environment is as comfortable as possible.

Tips on Sleeping With a Bed Partner Who is a Sleep Talker

Being bed partners or roommates with sleep talkers can be a frustrating experience, especially if it keeps happening throughout the night. Fortunately, there are a few strategies to help you sleep well even with disturbances [8]:

1. Go to sleep before your bed partner does: If you are a light sleeper, you might want to try going to bed before your partner does. This is to avoid being easily awakened.
2. Use a white noise machine or generator: A white noise machine or white noise generator can help to drown out any loud background noises. This will help you to get better sleep at night.
3. Use earplugs or noise-canceling headphones: An earplug or noise-canceling may be as equally useful as a white noise machine to mask sounds at night.
4. Find out the triggers: It will also be useful for you to identify what triggers your partner’s sleep talking. Once it has been identified, you can then work out a solution together to minimize the issue.

Conclusion

The above methods are to treat the symptoms but not the cause. If you experience severe sleep talking episodes, it is likely a sign of a more serious sleep disorder. In this case, you should consult with a sleep specialist.

For more tips on managing sleep talking or any other sleep-related tips, feel free to explore ShutEye® app. ShutEye® is a patented sleep-tracking solution with personalized insights to help you improve sleep quality.

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