Talking in Your Sleep: Causes of Sleep Talking and Treatment

Have you been talking in your sleep without realizing it? Or perhaps, you have been woken up by a partner talking in their sleep, unknowingly. Sleep talking is a common occurrence among adults and children. While it may be rather embarrassing, it is not anything dangerous.

In this article, we will explore the causes of sleep talking, the types of sleep talking, symptoms, health implications, and treatment options.

What is Sleep Talking?

Sleep talking, also known as somniloquy, is a sleep disorder in which someone talks while they are sleeping. It is prevalent in both adults and children, with statistics indicating that 60 to 65% of individuals will experience this phenomenon in their lifetime [1].

How Does Sleep Talking Occur?

People commonly think that talking in your sleep only occurs while dreaming. But, sleep talking occurs at any sleep stage. It typically occurs during either non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

What Causes Sleep Talking?

Scientists are still unclear about the reason why this phenomenon happens though research shows that it is associated with genetics.

The causes of sleep talking could be attributed to many different factors. For instance, some people sleep talk when they are facing mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or anxiety. It can also happen to some children when they are experiencing nightmares [2].

Sleep talking may also be associated with sleep apnea or other parasomnias such as sleepwalking or sleep terrors.

Discover if you sleep talk with ShutEye’s sleep-tracking feature

Try For Free

Types of Sleep Talking

From simple murmurs to complex dialogues, sleep talking encompasses a spectrum of vocalizations that occur during the different stages of sleep. Here are the two types of sleep talking:

Simple Somniloquy

Characterized by brief and uncomplicated utterances, simple somniloquy often consists of murmurs, mumbles, single-word responses, or a few sentences that may be incoherent. This is the most common type of sleep talking that people would experience.

Complex Somniloquy

In contrast to simple somniloquy, complex somniloquy is much more elaborate and consists of coherent speech patterns. Those who experience complex somniloquy may find themselves engaging in full conversations, being able to tell stories, or expressing certain emotions with depth and clarity.

Symptoms of Sleep Talking

Sleep talking can range from mumbling to having a full conversation. It can happen as you are transitioning from wakefulness to sleep or vice versa. Here are some common symptoms associated with sleep talking:

• Mumbling or unclear speech patterns while sleeping.
• An episode of saying full sentences ranging from mundane exchanges to emotionally charged interactions.
• May occur with other sleep disorders like REM sleep behavior disorder.
• Unresponsive to external stimuli while vocalizing.

Sleep Talking in Children vs. Adults

When it comes to sleep talking, it varies between children and adults because, for one, they both have different sleep patterns and behaviors. Here are some key distinctions between the two:

• Frequency and Occurrence: Sleep talking is more prevalent in children than in adults. It is considered a normal part of sleep behavior in childhood, with up to 50% of young children experiencing occasional episodes [1].
• Development factors: Sleep talking in children may be influenced by various developmental factors, such as brain maturation, sleep patterns, and emotional development. In adults, it may be linked to stress, anxiety, sleep disorder or underlying medical issues.
• Type of sleep talking: In children, their sleep talk usually consists of simple phrases, repetitions or gibberish. While adults are more likely to be capable of complex speech patterns like having full conversations.

Implications of Sleep Talk

As mentioned, sleep talking is typically harmless but it can still have some health implications when it starts to interfere with sleep quality. Here are some potential health implications of sleep talking.

Disrupted Sleep

Sleep talking can disrupt sleep for both the individual who is talking and their sleep partner. Frequent or loud vocalizations may lead to sleep disturbances, which results in fatigue and sleep deprivation.

Affects Interpersonal Relationships

For individuals who share a bed with a sleep talker, the vocalizations may cause disturbances or discomfort, leading to strained relationships or conflicts. This can affect the quality of interpersonal relationships and overall well-being.

Discover if you sleep talk with ShutEye’s sleep-tracking feature

Try For Free

Indicator of An Underlying Sleep Disorder

In some cases, sleep talking may be a symptom or precursor of underlying sleep disorders such as sleepwalking, night terrors, or REM sleep behavior disorder. These disorders can potentially pose safety risks and may require further evaluation and management by a healthcare professional.

Psychological Factors

Sleep talking may be influenced by psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, or unresolved emotions. Persistent or disruptive sleep talking may warrant consideration of underlying psychological concerns and may benefit from counseling or therapy interventions.

Affects Daytime Functioning

Chronic sleep talking may affect the way you function during the daytime. You may experience poor cognitive functioning, poor mood regulation, and excessive daytime sleepiness that ultimately takes a toll on overall well-being.

In this case, individuals who experience frequent sleep-talking episodes may benefit from strategies to improve sleep hygiene and optimize sleep quality.

Does Sleep Talking Go Away?

For sleep talkers, it is often a frustrating and embarrassing problem to deal with. Such individuals may wonder whether it is a permanent problem that will persist or whether it will go away eventually.

Sleep talking can vary in frequency and intensity among individuals and tends to be more common in children and adolescents. While it may decrease with age or in response to stress reduction techniques, it may not completely go away for some people.

Dr. Dan Rifkin

MD, MPH, FAASM Sleep Medicine Expert Physician & Neurologist

Individuals who find that they are unable to reduce sleep talking or get rid of it completely may need to figure out the factors that are influencing the persistence of this and possibly seek appropriate interventions, if necessary.

Strategies To Stop Sleep Talking

If you want to know how to stop sleep talking, look no further. Here are some tips that we recommend you to try:

• Establish a consistent sleep schedule: You should stick to a proper sleep schedule by keeping your sleep and wake hours at about the same time each night. A stable sleep pattern can help to reduce disruptions that trigger sleep talking.
• Practice relaxation techniques: Before going to bed, spend some time to calm the mind and body by engaging in deep breathing or meditation exercises. This will alleviate stress and promote calmness.
• Address underlying sleep disorders: If you are aware that you may have an underlying sleep disorder, you should consult a sleep specialist and seek treatment for it.
• Avoid or limit caffeine and alcohol consumption: Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt your sleep and exacerbate sleep-talking episodes so try to avoid or limit your caffeine and alcohol intake before bedtime.
• Use a sleep-talking app: Many sleep-talking apps have the feature of recording sounds like snoring or sleep-talking while you are asleep. Hearing the recorded sleep-talking audio will allow you to understand your sleep pattern better and take steps to manage this problem.

If for some reason, sleep talking occurs suddenly or it comes with intense fear or violent actions, you may want to consider consulting a sleep specialist. It is best to get a proper diagnosis rather than to self-diagnose.

Tips On Sharing A Bed With A Sleep Talker

If your bed partner happens to be a sleep talker and is constantly keeping you up at night, you may want to consider these tips to improve your sleep quality next time.

• Use earplugs or play white noise sounds: Block out sleep-talking noises with earplugs or play some white noise sounds to allow you to sleep undisturbed.
• Establish open communication: You must have an open conversation with your bed partner about their sleep-talking and how it affects your sleep quality. Doing so will allow both parties to find a solution to resolve this.
• Seek professional help if needed: If sleep talking continues to persist, you may want to suggest to your partner to seek professional help for further evaluation or guidance.

Summary

In summary, while sleep talking may be embarrassing and understandably so, it is typically harmless. By understanding what it is and the different types of strategies to manage the symptoms, you can regain control of your sleep and ensure that you get a good night’s rest!

Discover if you sleep talk with ShutEye’s sleep-tracking feature

Try for Free