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Has your partner ever told you that you talk in your sleep too much, or have you ever woken yourself up with your own sleep talking?
For those who are worried about whether "talking too much in your sleep can have a negative impact on your body," this article explains the relationship between sleep talking and sleep in detail.
What is sleep talking?
Words unconsciously uttered while sleeping are generally referred to as "sleep talking," and are one of the abnormal sleep behaviors called "parasomnia." However, there is no need to be overly concerned about illness or disability just because you talk in your sleep. It is a commonly observed behavior, and some people are said to talk in their sleep when stress, anxiety, or tension increases.
A study by the NIH (National Institutes of Health) reported that approximately 67% of 1,000 randomly selected adults (18 years and older) in Norway had experienced sleep talking.
Reference: "Prevalence of different parasomnias in the general population" NIH (National Institutes of Health)
Causes of sleep talking
Stress, dreams, diet, sleep deprivation, and illness are believed to be related to the causes of sleep talking.
The first possibility is when you are experiencing strong mental and physical stress, such as pressure at work or uncomfortable sleep due to a heavy comforter. If you suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to severe stress in the past, you may talk in your sleep due to the influence of nightmares. Also, not limited to nightmares, you may talk in your sleep due to the influence of dreams you have while sleeping.
The NIH (National Institutes of Health) reports that such comorbidity with mental disorders is a common cause of chronic sleep talking in adults.
The same study also reported a high correlation between sleep talking and heredity, suggesting that sleep talking may also be caused by genetic influences.
In addition, you are more likely to talk in your sleep if your sleep is shallow due to alcohol or caffeine intake, or if your brain is active due to sleep deprivation.
If you make groaning sounds, you may have an illness such as an epileptic seizure or sleep apnea syndrome.
If you twitch your body while talking in your sleep, or have nightmares every day, there may be an underlying illness, so if you are concerned, consult a medical institution.
Characteristics of people who talk in their sleep
Characteristics of people who talk in their sleep include those who are under stress, those who suppress what they want to say, those who feel excessive fatigue, those with irregular lifestyles, and those who habitually consume excessive alcohol or caffeine before sleep.
Among them, people who are experiencing strong mental and physical stress or have irregular lifestyles are generally considered more likely to talk in their sleep.
Also, if you talk in your sleep angrily, it may be due to suppressing what you usually want to say or stress manifesting as sleep talking, but it is also possible that it is related to the dreams you are having, regardless of your conscious will.
Characteristics of people who shout or speak clearly in their sleep
There are two types of sleep: "non-REM sleep" (when both the brain and body are in deep sleep) and "REM sleep" (when the body is resting but the brain is active).
Although there are individual differences, generally, immediately after falling asleep, you are in non-REM sleep, and about 90 minutes after falling asleep, you switch to REM sleep. After that, non-REM sleep and REM sleep alternate approximately every 90 minutes. This approximately 90-minute cycle repeats 4 to 5 times a night, with more non-REM sleep in the first 3 hours of sleep, and more REM sleep as morning approaches.
It is said that dreaming (remembering dreams) occurs during "REM sleep," when the brain is active.
Clear sleep talking is more likely during REM sleep.
While it is not necessarily true that you are more likely to talk in your sleep when you are dreaming, during REM sleep, there is a possibility that you are talking in your sleep in connection with the content of your dreams.
Sleep talking during REM sleep often contains rich emotional content and is often related to the content of dreams, so you may utter bizarre sleep talk.
On the other hand, sleep talking during non-REM sleep, when both the brain and body are in deep sleep, is often related to daily life and is said to have little connection to dreams.
Is sleep talking a sign of an underlying illness?
As mentioned earlier, sleep talking can sometimes be caused by "mental disorders" such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders, "epileptic seizures," or "sleep apnea syndrome."
If you have nightmares almost every day, talk in your sleep asking for help, groan or scream, or exhibit abnormal behavior along with sleep talking, there is a high possibility that an illness is hidden.
In some cases, a thorough examination may be necessary, so it is recommended to consult a sleep specialist.
5 ways to improve sleep talking
Improving the quality of your sleep can sometimes alleviate sleep talking. If you habitually talk in your sleep, please give these a try.
Check if you are sleeping soundly.
Poor sleep quality and shallow sleep can lead to sleep talking, so it's a good idea to check if you are getting enough sleep.
Reduce stress
Since the content of dreams is related to daily events and personal experiences, daily stress is thought to easily affect dreams.
Try to find ways to relieve stress or relax, and create an environment where stress is less likely to accumulate by reducing worries and anxieties.
Regulate your lifestyle
Avoid excessive intake of alcohol or caffeine before bed, and soaking in hot water, as these can worsen sleep quality.
In addition, resolving lack of exercise and improving diet and nutritional balance are essential for good quality sleep. Furthermore, to enhance sleep quality, burning aromatherapy or listening to relaxing music before sleep is also said to be effective.
Incorporate herbal medicine
It is also recommended to try herbal medicines that are recognized for their effectiveness in treating insomnia, or herbal medicines that have the following effects:
- Improve sleep quality by improving blood circulation
- Improve sleep quality by regulating the autonomic nervous system
- Induce sleep with a sedative effect
- Improve physical and mental health by improving digestive and absorption functions
Herbal medicines can lead to fundamental improvements in one's constitution, and some doctors may prescribe them as a countermeasure against sleep talking.
Improve your sleep environment
An uncomfortable sleep environment can lead to shallow sleep and an increased frequency of sleep talking. Especially if you are talking in your sleep due to strong mental and physical stress, you may be able to improve sleep talking by arranging your sleep environment, such as finding bedding that suits you and maintaining an appropriate bedroom temperature and humidity.
If sleep talking is a problem, consult a sleep specialist.
Sleep talking can reduce sleep quality, leading to a lack of concentration and severe daytime sleepiness, which can interfere with daily life. In such cases, consider consulting a sleep specialist.
When visiting a medical institution, it is a good idea to record your behavior while sleeping. You can ask family or your partner to tell you about your sleep talking, or record it with an app.
Also, if you are unsure whether to seek medical attention, you can use online self-check tools.
Let's try to improve sleep talking by starting with your sleep environment!
While sleep talking is a parasomnia, there is no need to be overly concerned about illness or disability just because you talk in your sleep. This is because sleep talking can be managed by improving your lifestyle and enhancing sleep quality.
Especially if you are talking in your sleep due to severe stress, it is important to improve your sleep environment, such as the temperature and humidity of your bedroom and your bedding. If you are concerned about sleep talking, refer to this article and check if your current sleep environment is suitable for you.
