Talking In Your Sleep – Is It Dangerous?

It happens suddenly and can be uncomfortable for the sleeper & those around them – talking in their sleep. What are the causes of the phenomenon and what can you do about it?

Many people know that: in the middle of their sleep, the partner suddenly starts uttering incomprehensible sentences.

Or maybe you woke up at night by your own voice.

This phenomenon can seem pretty scary, but most of the time it is completely harmless.

What is somniloquie?

Talking while you sleep is known as somniloquie.

It usually does not represent a serious clinical picture, but at most disturbs the bed partner or the person affected while sleeping.

  • This is normal speech or sounds that in most cases are difficult to understand.
  • The reason for the mostly unclear way of speaking is the muscles required for speaking, which are not active during the night.

But it can also be that whole words and sentences are clearly articulated.

How often does talking occur in sleep?

About 5 percent of adults are affected by talking while they sleep. For children between 3 and 10 years of age it is a full 50 percent. In most cases, however, this subsides during puberty.

  • Since many people sleep alone, the behavioral problems often go undetected in many people.
  • Somniloquie affects men and children slightly more often than women.
  • Usually somniloquia occurs during REM sleep. This is the phase in which the most common dreams occur.

However, the phenomenon can also occur in non-REM sleep.

Somniloquia can occur alone or in conjunction with other disorders such as sleepwalking. It is a type of parasomnia, ie. a behavior disorder during sleep .

  • To speak of somniloquie, it is necessary that the person concerned is unaware of the real environment and what is being said (such as when awake).

And again: Talking in the sheep is usually harmless, but it can disturb our fellow human beings and sometimes even ourselves when we sleep.

Causes of Somniloquie

According to sleep research , there is still no definitive cause for talking in sleep . However, we now know some factors that favor somniloquia:

  • Psychological stressful situations influence our mind and do not lose their effect even at night. So it can happen that in particularly stressful phases of our life, people talk at night.
  • In some clinical pictures such as high fever, somniloquia is a side disorder that then disappears again after recovery.
  • Alcohol and drug use and the use of certain medications can be responsible for late night talking.

It was also found that somniloquia can occur more often within a family.

For this reason, it is assumed that the abnormality is inheritable .

(However, somniloquia also occurs in people who have no relatives with the same phenomenon.)

Somniloquie- Dangerous or not?

From a medical point of view, it has no direct impact on the speaker’s health. Nevertheless, it can occasionally become uncomfortable for the person concerned and their immediate environment:

  • Somniloquie is, of course, a major unpleasant factor for the sleeping partner, who may often suffer from too little sleep .
  • After all, talking is sometimes expressed as screaming, murmuring or even whispering.

It happens that the behavior can also become embarrassing for the person concerned, because offensive or inappropriate phrases may be uttered during the somniloquie.

In some cases, talking also affects the person’s sleep quality and can lead to poor sleep quality in the long term.

Then, in any case, action should be taken and appropriate measures taken (= visit to the doctor).

Effective forms of treatment

If talking in your sleep does not trigger sleep disorders, treatment is not absolutely necessary.

If the social environment suffers from the behavior or the person concerned no longer enjoys healthy sleep himself and is therefore constantly tired , then therapy can be recommended.

Only a visit to the doctor brings certainty here.

Even smaller measures can already reduce the somniloquia.

  • Relaxation exercises are very effective for people who are particularly stressed. Yoga, breathing exercises, autogenic training or Qi Gong are suitable for reducing stress, switching off from everyday life and providing inner peace.
  • This harmony balances those affected, so that there is no reason for somniloquie. It is important that the relaxation exercises are optimally integrated into everyday life and repeated regularly.

Improve sleep hygiene

Affected people should also consider sleep hygiene . Refraining from alcohol supports healthy sleep.

In the evening hours should no longer be eaten heavily and the body should be unnecessarily stressed.

Coffee and other stimulants should also be left out. Instead, it is advisable to enjoy relaxing teas to optimally prepare your body and mind for a good night’s sleep.

  • A regulated sleep rhythm is generally recommended in order to sleep healthy and restful over a longer period of time.
  • Sports activities not only affect the body, but also support healthy sleep in the evening.
  • If a trauma or other psychological stress triggers the nocturnal talking, it is definitely advisable to contact a psychological specialist.
  • In some acute cases, drug treatments are also used by a doctor during therapy.

Info: Somniloquie after Arthur Arkin

The definition of somniloquie was made in sleep research according to Arthur M.Arkins.

In his book ” Sleep-Talking: Psychology and Psychophysiology” the results of his work are presented.

He examined sleep behavior in combination with dreams and talking. In one of his experiments, test subjects were woken up shortly after a somniloquie in order to ask them about their behavior.

According to Arthur Arkin, clear formulations as well as phrases muttered to oneself are part of somniloquie behavior during sleep.

Even if they are not clear and always understandable, the purpose of the resulting sounds is to convey something through language.

Communicative tones such as laughing, screaming, crying or whining are also part of the somniloquie behavior.

I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.

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