You may not know that you’re a sleep talker until A) someone tells you, or B) you download a sleep recording app that logs noise throughout the night. Either way, finding out that you’re speaking sentences or having nonsense conversations during your beauty sleep is definitely an eye-opener! And, it’s pretty common: almost 66% of people experience it. Let’s break down this phenomenon further.
Causes for Sleep Talking
Sleep talking is typically not a sign of anything serious or malevolent. It can be caused by a number of things, including just being overly tired. However, underlying physical and mental stressors could also exaggerate instances of sleep talking or make it more common, like:
- RBD: A REM sleep behavior disorder that causes you to act out your dreams.
- Sleep Terrors: Episodes of extreme fear and screaming during sleep.
- Sleepwalking: Involves rising from sleep and walking/talking around.
- Emotional Stress: Prevents the mind from fully relaxing.
- Fever: Can cause sleep talking as well as bad dreams
- Mental Health Disorders: Anxiety and PTSD can also disrupt the sleep cycle, causing sleep talking.
How to Reduce Sleep Talking
If you know that the reason for your sleep conversations isn’t anything serious, and it isn’t occurring alongside any other questionable symptoms (like fever, post-trauma, etc.), you can instill some lifestyle changes that may reduce your instances of sleep talking.
Keep a Sleep Diary
Keeping a record of your sleep patterns may help you identify what is causing your sleep talking. You should note not just the times you go to bed and wake up but also the medications you take and when, daily caffeine consumption, and when you exercise.
Limit Your Caffeine Intake
Coffee and energy drinks are the last things you want to consume when trying to get a good night’s sleep. Though they can wake you up in the morning, you should avoid having anything caffeinated within six hours of bedtime. Otherwise, your mind may stay active throughout slumber, causing sleep talking.
Save High-Intensity Exercise for Mornings
Though you can exercise anytime during the day, you should reserve high-intensity workouts like cardio for the AM and stick to the simpler stuff (walking, yoga, stretching) before bed. Slower activities will tire you out, so you sleep with less risk of chatter.
Should You See a Doctor?
As mentioned, it’s unlikely that your sleep talking should cause concern. However, your nightly conversations could be caused by issues that can be resolved with the help of a doctor or sleep specialist. If you sleep with someone else, and they notice you momentarily stop breathing in your sleep, or you wake up with headaches or gasping for air, you may suffer from sleep apnea, a disorder that can be aided with the help of a doctor.
Sleep talking can also be a symptom of PTSD. With psychotherapy, counseling, and medication, you can keep your anxiety at bay and reduce sleep talking and other issues that arise with the disorder.
Have any sleep-talking stories? Let us know in the comments below!