Actually, somniloquy, a sleep condition, is what we refer to as sleep talking. Doctors don’t fully understand why people sleep speak or what happens in the brain during this process. Sleep talkers are not conscious of what they are saying and won’t recall it the next day.
If you talk while you’re asleep, you could do it in entire phrases, in gibberish, or in a voice or language that’s different from your usual one.
Stages and intensity are used to categorize sleep talking:
- Stages 1 and 2: Speech of the sleep talker is easier to comprehend in these stages since they are not as deeply asleep as they are in stages 3 and 4. In phases 1 or 2, a sleep talker is capable of speaking coherently.
- The sleep talker is in a deeper slumber throughout stages three and four, and their speech is typically more difficult to comprehend. It can come out as groaning or gibberish.
The frequency of sleep talk determines its severity:
- Mild: Less frequently than once a month, sleep talk occurs.
Moderate: Although not every night, sleep talking happens once a week. Other people in the room can sleep through the chatting with little disruption.
- Severe: Sleep talking occurs every night and may prevent others in the same room from falling asleep.
Although sleep talking is often not a significant medical problem, there are several circumstances in which it may be necessary to visit a doctor.
Consult your doctor if your sleep talking is so severe that it is impairing your quality of sleep or if you are so weary that you find it difficult to focus throughout the day. Rarely, more serious issues like a mental condition or nightly seizures might coexist with sleep talking. Make an appointment with a doctor if you begin sleep talking for the first time after the age of 25. An underlying medical problem may be the cause of sleep talking later in life.
It’s beneficial to visit a doctor for a thorough evaluation if you feel that your sleep talking is a sign of a different, more severe sleep condition, such as sleep walking or sleep apnea.
Although there is no cure for sleep talking, a sleep specialist might be able to help you manage your issue. A sleep specialist can also assist in ensuring that your body receives the necessary amount of sleep at night.
It could be beneficial to speak with a specialist about how to manage both of your sleep requirements if your partner is concerned about your sleep talking. You might wish to experiment with the following:
- Sleeping in various beds or rooms
- Using a white noise machine in your room to block out any speech; having your spouse wear earplugs
- Avoiding alcohol
- Avoiding heavy meals just before bed
- Creating a regular sleep pattern with nightly routines to induce sleep
Disclaimer
BahrainHealthMatters.com is for informative purposes only and not a substitute for professional in person expertise.
We advise that anyone having concerns about their health issues should consult their doctor asap.