Sleep Talking

The formal name for sleep talking is parasomnia and it is when a person talks out loud while he or she is sleeping. Sleep talking can vary from simple sounds to long speeches and is sometimes done in a much louder voice than the person's regular speaking voice. Sleep talking can happen a number of times while a person is asleep and people who are listening might not be able to understand what the sleep talker is saying.

Most sleep talking occurs during the arousal from Non-REM sleep. Sometimes the talking can occur during REM sleep as well, and when it does it is seen as a break through of the speech happening in a person's dream. When a person talks during REM sleep it is called a motor breakthrough.

Sometimes sleep talking is a feature of a sleep disorder. REM sleep behavior disorder, Sleepwalking, Night terrors and Sleep-related eating disorder are all disorders that can feature sleep talking.

Almost half of all young children talk in their sleep though most of them outgrow it by the time puberty kicks in. There are some, though, who keep talking in their sleep. Roughly five percent of adults have talked in their sleep. There is some speculation as to whether or not sleep talking is hereditary as it does seem to run in families.

By itself, sleep talking is harmless and should not be taken too seriously. The biggest problem most sleep talkers have is waking other people up and that person takes the sleep talk seriously. You don't need to worry unless the sleep talk veers into the overly dramatic, the emotional or the profane. When this happens it could be a symptom of a true sleep disorder, though if a person is normally emotional, dramatic and profane when they talk, it could be hard to tell!

There are some people who even sing in their sleep! Others give speeches! Don McGregor, a famous sleep talker, became something of a celebrity when his roommate recorded his nightly sleep talking. McGregor was known for delivering long and detailed soliloquies. His sleep talking was released in the 1960s as a series of albums.

Most people equate sleep taking with a stress. Many psychologists say that the best way to keep from sleep talking is to eliminate or do your best to avoid stress during the day, to try mediation or other relaxation techniques or to have someone wake you up when you start talking. Some people equate sleep talking with working out issues that did not get resolved during the day, for example, if a person seems to be carrying on a conversation that they had earlier in the afternoon.

If you are a sleep talker, you have no reason to be ashamed. Most of us talked in our sleep as children and some of us even carried it over into adulthood. Sleep talking is a naturally occurring phenomenon and, like the in Don McGregor's case, it might even make you a celebrity! To be sure, most people view sleep talking with fascination as a quirk that is entertaining and even, sometimes, admired.

Difficulty Sleeping Tip #1

Caffeine is only your friend during the morning hours. Even though you might not think that caffeine affects you very much, it does play a big part in your body's ability to settle down and rest at the end of the day. If you must have coffee, switch to decaf after lunch. Caffeine can affect your body for up to eight hours. The longer it has to leave your system the less likely it is to affect your sleeping habits.

Difficulty Sleeping Tip #2

Exercise will not wear you out; it will actually pump you up. Exercise actually gives people energy. While you might feel tired immediately after a workout, your body will not sleep well if you try to do your workout right before bed. It is also bad for your body as a rule to go from lots of motion to staying still. This is why there are warm ups and cool downs before and after exercise workouts.

Difficulty Sleeping Tip #3

While many of us may fall asleep while watching television, if you are having sleeping problems, you want to give yourself at least an hour before going to bed that is television free. Television is a stimulant for your brain (even if the material is not particularly scholarly in content). Watching it right before bed keeps you awake and it takes a while for your brain to wind down after you turn the television off.