Your partner tells you that you were talking in your sleep again last night. Maybe you were mumbling, maybe you were having a full conversation, maybe you were shouting. Sleep talking (somniloquy) is surprisingly common and usually harmless. Here's what causes it and when to be concerned.
About 66% of people talk in their sleep at some point in their lives. About 5% are regular sleep talkers. It occurs in all ages but is more common in children and tends to decrease with age. Men and women are equally affected.
Sleep talking runs in families. If your parents talked in their sleep, you're more likely to do it too. There's a genetic component to the threshold at which motor speech areas activate during sleep.
High stress levels increase sleep talking frequency. When you're stressed, your sleep is more fragmented, and you spend more time in the lighter sleep stages where talking is more likely to occur.
Being overtired increases the frequency and intensity of sleep talking. When you're sleep-deprived, your brain has more "micro-awakenings" during which speech can occur.
Alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat and mouth, making it easier for speech to occur during sleep. Certain medications (antidepressants, sedatives) can also increase sleep talking.
Sleep talking can be associated with other sleep disorders: sleep apnea, REM sleep behavior disorder, night terrors, and sleepwalking. If sleep talking is accompanied by other unusual behaviors, see a doctor.
Usually not. Most sleep talking is harmless mumbling or short phrases. It doesn't affect your sleep quality and doesn't mean you have a sleep disorder. The main impact is on your bed partner, who may be disturbed by the noise.
Reduce sleep talking by sleeping on a consistent schedule. Use our free Sleep Calculator to find your ideal bedtime.
It's possible but unlikely. Sleep talk is usually random words, fragments, or nonsensical phrases. It's not coherent enough to reveal meaningful secrets. A study in the journal Sleep found that most sleep talk was single words or short phrases, with only 10% being full sentences.
No. Sleep talking occurs during light sleep, and waking someone from light sleep can cause disorientation and grogginess. It won't harm them, but it's unnecessary. Just let them talk. If it's disturbing your sleep, earplugs or a white noise machine can help.
Sometimes. Sleep talking can occur during any sleep stage, but it's most common during light sleep (Stage 2) and transitions between stages. When it occurs during REM sleep, it may be related to dream content. But most sleep talking doesn't correspond to dreams.
Yes. Sleep talking is very common in children (about 50% talk in their sleep at some point) and most outgrow it by adolescence. If a child's sleep talking is accompanied by night terrors, sleepwalking, or excessive daytime sleepiness, mention it to their pediatrician.