What does it really mean to talk while you sleep? Hearing someone talk in their sleep can be fun, but what are the psychological causes of this problem?
It can make you smile to hear someone talking in their sleep, during the night, throwing themselves into real monologues with more or less understandable sentences; however, the disorder has a very precise name and characteristics, even from a psychological point of view.
Sleepiness, the medical term for sleep-talking parasomnia, is very common in children, but often in adults as well. As for the smallest, it even affects 50% of them between the ages of 3 and 12 years, while around 5% of adults can suffer from it.
The Somniloquy indifferently manifested both in the REM stage sleep and the NREM, with a precise distinction: if it appears in the first phase, in general, give complete sentences can, while during NREM characterized more grunting or confusing and unclear sentences.
During REM sleep, the brain must "control" the motor activity of the muscles, and even the vocal cords must stop working; those who tend to speak dominated, however, can utter complete sentences during a dream, even leading a real dialogue; the Somniloquy can sometimes also be associated with other disorders sleep, such as sleep walking, in which the walking person asleep or night terrors especially present in childhood.
What is the meaning of talking in your sleep
Those who suffer from somniloquism often have a family history in which there are other cases similar to yours. Like other parasomnias, this seems to be related to a strong deep sleep, in which, in the presence of stimuli, the person manifests the disease instead of waking up.
In children, the main causes of this sleep disorder refer mainly to fever, sleep apnea and sleep deprivation, while in adults, in addition to the two factors in common with children, depression is also associated, anxiety, stress, use of certain medications or alcohol consumption.
Speaking in sleep or speaking in dreams is not usually a serious problem and almost never requires treatment, in some cases people may feel embarrassed or worried about the fear of saying something "indecent" during sleep, so this explains why many of they prefer to sleep alone, also potentially affecting the relationship.
However, if the phenomenon appears suddenly in adulthood, it can be symptomatic of other psychological problems, so it is advisable to consult a specialist in such circumstances.
What does psychology say about sleepiness?
When talking in the dream is a symptom of a more serious problem, it is necessary to deepen the causes and eliminate them; For example, when it is concluded that the cause of sleepiness is an excessive level of stress or a state of anxiety or depression, it is appropriate and necessary to work precisely on these aspects, to promote a more restful sleep.
If it's a problem in and of itself, it can often be helpful to create comforting habits before going to bed, such as listening to soothing music or taking a hot bath, obviously avoiding the use of stimulant substances at night and making sure that the room always has the same temperature, which is dark and quiet enough. Even going to bed at the same time as the partner can help.
How to treat sleepiness
If the parasomnia is mild, it can be treated with some relaxing teas and home relaxation methods and incorporate hot baths half an hour before going to sleep.
But if it occurs sporadically or becomes severe, if the sleep-talking episodes occur every night or if they repeat several times during the same night, further evaluations are necessary.
In severe cases, especially when associated with other parasomnias, the problem should be reported to the doctor to investigate the underlying causes of the disease, in order to try to reduce the frequency of the episodes and see if talking in sleep is not a symptom of a totally different disease.
Oddly enough, it is also better to adjust the level of physical activity in the evening, which can be very high; It is also advisable to get help from your partner or, if you are a parent, to note when the episodes of sleepiness occur, and to provide the doctor with clues to work.
When it occurs in aging people, somniloquia can be one of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, according to some studies, in fact, around 40% of people who suffer from sleep disorders during the REM phase could manifest this pathology.
Anxiety attacks typically last no more than 30 minutes, with the symptoms reaching their most intense at about halfway through the attack. Anxiety can build up for hours or even days before the actual attack so it is important to take note of factors that contribute to anxiety to effectively prevent or treat them. Pure CBD Gummies Review