Why Do We Talk In Our Sleep

                                  

Has your partner or roommate ever told you that you were talking in your sleep?  Have they ever made fun of you by telling you the things you said while you were asleep?  Sleep talking is a random occurrence and can happen to anyone. 

Sleep talking is a kind of disruptive sleep disorder which is classified under parasomnias.  It is medically known as somniloquy and falls under the same category as bed wetting and sleep walking.  It is prevalent in children between the ages of 3-10, and experts estimate that about 5% of adults also sleep talk.  

Intensity and frequency of sleep talking vary from person to person.  Sleep talking may be unprovoked but can also be triggered when someone tries to have a conversation with you when you are asleep.  Some people sleep talk once in a while, but to others sleep talking is a nightly habit.  Sometimes sleep talkers talk in monotones and other times,they make full conversations without being totally conscious of it.  

When Do We Sleep Talk?  

Sleep talking mostly happens during two stages of sleep; Stage two and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep.  Sleep talking during REM sleep may be a result of dreaming.  Even when dreaming they may also say things that are totally unrelated to the dream.  But sleep talking during stage two of the sleep cycle is totally unrelated to an actual dream. 

What Causes Sleep Talking? 

Sleep talking has not been exclusively associated with any disease condition, but the following factors can increase the chances of sleep talking. 

• Alcohol- Taking alcohol before going to bed  
• Certain Medications can keep the body in a state of unrest, and lead to sleep talking. 
• Emotional Stress is a potent trigger of sleep talking 
• Sleep apnea and other sleep problems 
• Depression alters the mind and makes one soliloquize both consciously and while sleeping 
• Lack of adequate sleep 
• Fever associated with certain disease conditions 
• Genetics 
• REM sleep disorder 
• External factors 

Although sleep talking may be a genetically transferred character experts do not believe that genetics alone can be responsible for someone chitchatting during a night’s sleep.  Sleep talking can also be a symptom of some medical and mental health conditions.  If you are an adult who doesn’t have a history of sleep talking and all of a sudden you start talking in your sleep you need to visit a doctor to find out if it is an indicator of an underlying mental or physical health condition.  

                                                  

Does Sleep Talking Really Mean Anything 

There is no need reading too much into the sleep talking words you or your partner utters in their sleep.  Experts say that those words are most often meaningless and are not indicative of what the person is thinking.  Some schools of thought believe that people reveal their secrets when they sleep talk but this is not totally accurate because the things people say in their sleep is hardly related to what is happening in their lives.  

Also, sleep talking is very common amongst children; and according to experts it is associated with brain development and as the children grow they outgrow the habit. 

Is there a Remedy? 

There is no known medical cure for sleep talking.  However, if you are feeling embarrassed about your sleep talking habit, some of these measures can help reduce the embarrassing occurrence. 

• Maintain a regular bedtime and always get enough sleep. 
• Avoid drinking alcohol and getting intoxicated 
• Avoid eating heavy meals, especially before bedtime. 
• Keep away from too much stress 

Sleep talking is not a serious medical condition but if you feel concered rambling you may consult a sleep therapist. 

Source: http://www.aasmnet.org/

I hope you enjoyed.  Please Upvote, Resteem, and Follow me @road2wisdom