Sleep Talking | Talking in Your Sleep

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Calling all sleep chatterboxes! Here, we dive into the the prevalence of sleep talking, take a look at who out of us is most likely to talk in their sleep, and find out why. We'll also explain some techniques you can adopt to reduce how frequently you talk in your sleep too.

the enigmatic world of *sleep talking*: unravelling the midnight monologues

Talking in your sleep has, let’s face it, hilarious connotations. Also known as somniloquy, it’s a phenomenon that has fascinated and puzzled people for centuries. What is it? Why do we do it?!

In this article, like research versions of Tom Daley, we will dive into the deep end, and look into the numerous aspects of talking in your sleep, exploring what causes it, its prevalence, potential meanings, and the impact it can have on people. Don’t worry though, up to 66% of the population do it, so you’re far from alone.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin…

why?

Sleep Stages: Sleep is a more than just closing your eyes and hoping for the best, it’s actually a pretty complex process with distinct stages, including REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM stages. Talking in your sleep can occur during either REM or non-REM sleep (1). 
Genetic Factors: Basically, if your parents or siblings talk in their sleep, you might be more likely to do so as well (2). Again, you’re definitely not alone.
Stress and Anxiety: Stress and anxiety can manifest in various sleep disorders, including talking in your sleep (3). It also appears to be more common in people who suffer with mental health issues, especially those who suffer with PTSD for example.  Overall though, it’s something that two thirds of the population do, so try not to worry, most cases of sleep talking aren’t connected to mental illness at all.

who and how common?

Age and Gender: We all know that kids talk a lot, right? Like, all the time… It turns out they even do it while they’re asleep. Sleep talking is most common in children, of course it is, with some studies suggesting that up to 50% of kids may experience it. And you guessed it, it appears to be more common in boys than girls (4). Typical. However, sleep talking can obviously also go on as an adult, with men and women being equally likely to talk in their sleep (5). Balance has been restored.
Frequency: Sleep talking from time to time is considered normal, so don’t sweat the small stuff; you might want to check yourself before you wreck yourself if it’s frequent and disruptive though… Sleep talking could be linked to a sleep disorder you don’t know about yet. So get that looked at, yeah? (6).

what’cha talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?!

Incoherent Utterances: As humans, we have a tendency to talk quite a lot of rubbish, spewing nonsense into the atmosphere at an alarming rate. Sleep talk can pretty often be nonsensical and difficult to understand too, so at least we’re consistent. It can be made up of mumbling, gibberish, or a mix of words that seem unrelated; this “incoherent sleep talking” generally happens during REM sleep (7). Every day’s a school day. 
One-sided conversations: If you’re like me, then this is something that I do on the reg anyway, but some people may also unconsciously repeat phrases or conversations they had during the day, which depending on the context, could be pretty sketchy. Sometimes people will play out random conversations too, also potentially hazardous. This is often put down to the brain's attempts to process our waking experiences (8).

As a someone drifts off, they could well start going off, having a fully understandable conversation with themselves, but, as they go deeper and deeper into their slumber, their talking could become more garbled or slurred sounding. Dread to think what it’d be like after a few… Yikes.

dreams and sleep talking

Connection to Dreams: As you’d probably imagine, sleep talking is likely to be connected to the dream state. The often vivid and downright weird things we create in our imaginations while asleep probably influences the things we say, perhaps a way of us trying to process or explain what we’re seeing.
Nightmares and Night Terrors: Again, as you’d probably have predicted, sleep talking is likely to take place when we’re experiencing a nightmare, or a night terror. Now… These experiences aren’t pleasant, but the sleep talking is likely just our brains trying to vocalise what we’re seeing. If this becomes a regular thing though, disturbing your sleep more and more, or becomes dangerous, then you should seek advice from your GP.

how does it impact sleep quality

Disturbing your bed partners: It goes without saying, though we will anyway, that sleep talking can be disruptive to those we share a bed with. This can obviously lead to sleep disturbances and potential strain on relationships. If you’re a double threat, and snore too, then this could be an even bigger problem.
Association with other sleep disorders: In some cases, sleep talking could go hand-in-hand with other sleep disorders, like sleepwalking or insomnia, making the search for quality sleep even harder.

talking in your sleep: treatment and Management

Monitoring and recording: If you can remember, and you’re super savvy, try keeping a sleep diary or maybe use a recording device, this can help people, and healthcare professionals track just how often they sleep talk, and the patterns, if any. Snoop on yourself.  
Stress reduction techniques: Since it’s pretty likely that stress and anxiety cause us to sleep talk, stress reduction techniques like mindfulness, meditation, and other relaxation exercises could help put a stopper in this night time activity.

when to seek professional help for sleep talking

Persistent sleep talking: If the sleep talking starts to disrupt your sleep, or the sleep of your bed buddy, then it's you should maybe look at consulting a healthcare professional, you can be referred to specialist by speaking to your GP first.
Associated symptoms: If there are other things going on that disrupt your sleep, like sleepwalking, night sweats, extreme fatigue, or sleep apnoea, then a more in depth assessment might be the best course of action. Again, speak to your GP about any worries you may have. They should know what to do.

sleep talking: our final thoughts

Talking in your sleep remains a captivating aspect of human behaviour, and why wouldn’t it be? It’s pretty fascinating. It can offer an insight into that seriously mysterious world that is our subconscious mind. Most people do it, and more often than not, it’s nothing more than a humorous quirk, but when it starts to get between you and a good night’s sleep, then be the mamma bear, and protect your cub.

There’s nothing wrong with seeking professional advice and support, especially if it's disturbing you or the person you share a bed with, or it’s becoming somewhat of a strain on your relationship. As ongoing research continues to peel back the curtain, and explain the weirder aspects of sleep, we might just gain even deeper insights into this intriguing yet still overall fairly hilarious phenomenon. Stay tuned! Until next time, eve sleep.