Sleep Talking (Somniloquy)

Key Takeaways

• Sleep talking (somniloquy) is a common sleep behavior that can range from simple sounds and mumbling to full words or conversations, often without the person remembering it.
• Episodes can occur during both REM and non-REM sleep and may be triggered by factors like stress, sleep deprivation, fever, alcohol use, or certain sleep disorders.
• Most cases of sleep talking are harmless and don't require treatment, especially when episodes are infrequent and don't disrupt sleep.
• If sleep talking affects your sleep quality, talk with your doctor or a sleep specialist and focus on stress reduction and good sleep habits.

What Is Sleep Talking? 

Also known as somniloquy, sleep talking is a type of parasomnia. Parasomnias are unusual or undesirable behaviors that happen during sleep. Sleep talking can occur on its own, or alongside other parasomnias.

People who talk in their sleep may vocalize single words, brief phrases, or complex sentences. Their speech can be loud, clear, and easy to understand, or it can be quiet or nonsensical. Sleep talk can be unpleasant or loud, especially if one has a condition called REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). 

Usually, sleep talk doesn't address memories or refer to actual events in a person’s waking life. But people who experience night terrors may say things that reflect fear or anxiety.

Sleep talking often occurs when an individual is just waking up, but most people don't know that they're talking in their sleep while it's happening.

Sleep talking can happen during any stage of sleep, which include rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. This sets sleep talking apart from other parasomnias, which tend to occur during either REM or non-REM sleep. 

How Common Is Sleep Talking?

Research notes it's difficult to know the exact prevalence of sleep talking, because it's difficult to study people who may not know they're sleep talking.

Even still, sleep talking is thought to be a common parasomnia. Experts estimate 70% of individuals do so at least once during their lifetime, and about half of children ages 3 to 13 talk in their sleep at some point. And sleep talking tends to affect people of all genders at about the same rate.

Why Do People Talk in Their Sleep?

Experts are still investigating why people talk in their sleep. Sleep talking often runs in families, so it may be at least partially genetic. 

Sleep talking may be present in some individuals with certain mental health conditions. For instance, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with sleep talking. In addition, evidence suggests that sleep talking may be more common in children experiencing stressful events or who have symptoms of anxiety, depression, or behavioral disorders.

Researchers are unsure if sleep talking is related to dreaming. But, some researchers think sleep talking may offer insight into the dreaming mind and how the brain stores memories during sleep. 

Sometimes, sleep talking is associated with other sleep disorders. These include sleepwalking, night terrors, and disorders that make people feel confused when they wake up. Sleep talking can also be a symptom of a condition called REM sleep behavior disorder.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

REM sleep behavior disorder is a disorder that causes unusual behaviors during REM sleep, including sleep talking. People with RBD may talk in their sleep as they dream. They may also:

• Sing
• Whistle
• Shout
• Swear
• Give speeches

Normally, people’s muscles become temporarily paralyzed when they enter REM sleep. This paralysis ensures that people don’t act out their dreams. Those with RBD, however, don't experience this paralysis. As a result, they talk in their sleep and move about while dreaming. 

RBD is common among individuals with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease and dementia. People may develop RBD years before they show other symptoms of a degenerative brain condition. However, other sleep disorders, head injuries, medications, and PTSD can also cause RBD.

What Does It Mean When You Talk in Your Sleep?

In most cases, sleep talking doesn't have a deeper meaning or indicate a serious health problem. Many people assume sleep talking reveals hidden thoughts, secrets, or feelings, but there's little scientific evidence to support this idea. While sleep talking may occasionally include words or phrases related to recent experiences, the content is often fragmented, nonsensical, or disconnected from a person's waking thoughts.

Sleep talking can become more frequent during periods of stress, sleep deprivation, illness, or alcohol use. It may also occur alongside other sleep disorders, such as sleepwalking, REM sleep behavior disorder, or obstructive sleep apnea. However, occasional sleep talking is usually harmless and does not require treatment unless it causes sleep disruption or occurs with other unusual nighttime behaviors.

How to Stop Sleep Talking

Since the causes of sleep talking aren't well understood, there's little evidence for how to stop it. Treatment for infrequent parasomnias is rarely needed. However, if treatment is needed, doctors may first try to look for any contributing factors like side effects from medication or other medical conditions.

Many parasomnias occur when a person’s sleep cycle becomes disrupted and they find themselves "trapped" between sleep and wakefulness. People often talk in their sleep just as they're waking up. Since an individual’s habits affect their sleep patterns, practicing good sleep hygiene might help in the treatment of parasomnias.

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule: The body often has trouble adapting to new sleep patterns. Practice getting up and going to bed at the same time every day, even on the weekends. 
• Avoid stimulants before bedtime: Caffeinated foods and drinks and nicotine can keep you up at night. Caffeine may take up to eight hours to wear off, so save the coffee for earlier in the day.
• If necessary, adjust your medications: Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs can negatively impact sleep patterns. If you suspect that a medication is keeping you awake or causing you to talk in your sleep, let your doctor know. They may be able to offer an alternative or adjust your dosage.
• Make your bedroom an ideal place to sleep: Be sure that your sleeping environment is comfortable and promotes relaxation. Remove distracting electronic devices. Keep your bedroom between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the lights low.
• Optimize your light exposure: Timing your exposure to light can help regulate natural sleep patterns. Try to spend at least 30 minutes in the sunlight in the morning and dim all indoor lighting at night. 

Tips for Sharing a Bed With a Sleep Talker

Having a bed partner who talks in their sleep can make it hard to get a good night’s rest. However, it's important to remember that they're most likely unaware of their sleep talking and that there are a few things you can do to improve your sleep.

• Wear earplugs: Try blocking out the sound with earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.
• Drown out the sound: Consider using a white noise machine to cover up the sound of your partner’s sleep talk. You can opt for a traditional white noise machine, or a more advanced device like the Hatch Restore 3 that plays white noise and doubles as a smart sunrise alarm. Playing music, running a fan, or utilizing another form of background noise can also be effective.
• Keep communication open: If your bed partner’s sleep talk is frequent, loud, or particularly disruptive, you may want to suggest that they consult with a sleep specialist. A sleep specialist can determine if their vocalizations are normal or a sign of a larger problem.
• Try sleeping separately: If all else fails, try sleeping in separate rooms. This may help both you and your partner get better rest with fewer interruptions.

When to Talk to a Doctor

On its own, sleep talking doesn't usually indicate a medical problem. However, it can sometimes be part of another sleep condition, especially when it's combined with unusual physical movements. It may also indicate a family history of sleep talking, or a mental health condition like PTSD.

If sleep talking is negatively impacting your or your bed partner’s sleep, let your doctor know. You may also want to inform your doctor if you have experienced other symptoms or changes in your health, such as: 

• Daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, or other symptoms of sleep apnea  
• Unusual movements at night 
• Sleep talking that begins at an older age 
• Any episodes of nighttime confusion 
• Taking a new medication 
• Recent fever or illnesses

Although sleep talking is a parasomnia, experts consider it to be benign and don't recommend treatment for most cases. However, if other movements occur along with sleep talking, then another parasomnia may be present.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sleep talking normal?

On its own, sleep talking can be a normal part of sleeping. However, if it's associated with other sleep disorders, then it may negatively impact your health. For example, if someone also has a REM behavior sleep disorder, then injury can happen if one attempts to act out movements that occur during dreams.

What medication causes talking in your sleep?

While it's unclear is there are medications that contributed directly to sleep talking, there are several medications that have been linked to unusual sleep behaviors in general. These may include certain antidepressants, sedatives, sleep medications, and drugs that affect the central nervous system.

If you notice changes in your sleep behaviors after beginning a medication, talk with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment plan.

Is sleep talking genetic?

Though not fully understood, sleep talking appears to have a genetic component and often runs in families. People who have relatives who sleep talk, sleepwalk, or experience other parasomnias may be more likely to develop these behaviors themselves.

However, genetics is only one factor, and sleep talking may also be influenced by stress, sleep deprivation, illness, and other environmental factors.

Can depression cause sleep talking?

Depression doesn't directly cause sleep talking, but it may increase the likelihood of sleep disturbances that contribute to episodes. People with depression often experience changes in sleep patterns, insomnia, fragmented sleep, and altered sleep architecture, all of which may be associated with parasomnias like sleep talking. 

In addition, some medications used to treat depression may contribute to unusual sleep behaviors in certain individuals.

Are there any conditions that mimic sleep talking?

There are a couple of conditions that mimic sleep talking. People who have nocturnal epilepsy may vocalize in their sleep. Catathrenia is a sleep breathing disorder that causes a person to groan, but not talk, in their sleep.

Does stress cause sleep talking?

This is a difficult question to answer, as experts aren't yet entirely sure what causes sleep talking. However, limited evidence suggests that children who experience stressful situations may talk in their sleep more than others. On the other hand, experts don’t think that the words verbalized during sleep talk reflect waking events.

Also, they don't know if there's a relationship between words being verbalized and events in the mind while sleeping. Thus, researchers note the need for additional studies on sleep talking and how it may reflect activity in the mind both while awake and asleep.