Talking in your sleep: why are we doing this?

Talk in your sleep
Why are we doing this

© B-D-S Piotr Marcinski / Shutterstock

When we talk in sleep, it is more irritating for our partner – we don't even notice it ourselves. But why do we even talk in our sleep?

Talking in your sleep: what's behind it?

You lie comfortably in bed at night and suddenly your partner mumbles something to himself – do you know that too? When we talk in our sleep, one automatically asks oneself whether one is inadvertently divulging one's most secret thoughts. Sleep researchers can reassure you about this phenomenon, which by the way is known as somniloquia: It is assumed that when we talk in sleep, we only process our everyday life, similar to dreaming. Therefore, somniloquie is not considered a typical sleep disorder or dangerous for our health.

Why do we talk in our sleep?

In general, talking while sleeping is not very common – it is estimated that only five percent of adults are regularly affected by somniloquia. Children talk much more often in their sleep. As they get older, however, the phenomenon usually resolves itself. And it is very rare that we speak clear words or even entire sentences in our sleep. The speech muscles are actually completely relaxed during sleep, which is why we tend to utter incomprehensible scraps of words or individual sounds when we sleep. The fact that you can coax secrets from someone who talks in their sleep is more of a popular film trick.

Talking in your sleep: causes

So far it has not been scientifically proven exactly why some people talk in their sleep. However, initial studies indicate that somniloquia could be hereditary. In addition, sleep researchers assume that self-talk in our dreams could also cause talking in our sleep. Also, there are some factors that actually make it more likely that you will speak while you sleep. These include:

  • different diseases
  • stress
  • generally poor sleep
  • fever
  • certain drugs
  • Consumption of luxury goods (for example nicotine or alcohol)

People who generally suffer from insomnia and Incidentally, sleepwalkers tend to talk in their sleep.

The connection between speaking in sleep and dreams

Talking usually happens during sleep during the dream phase, the so-called REM phase. But somniloquia also sometimes occurs during the change between the dream phases, the so-called non-REM stages. Sleep researchers have already been able to establish connections between our dreams and words or sounds that we then actually utter during sleep. As is well known, we process our everyday life and special emotional events in our dreams. This fits a study that shows that people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) talk twice as often in their sleep as people without PTSD.

The sleep researcher Arthur M. Arkin used a study to investigate the connection between dreaming and speaking in sleep. He observed his study participants while they slept and woke them as soon as they had spoken in their sleep. Then the sleep researcher asked the test subjects about their dreams. The result: Most of what the study participants said in their sleep matched their dream content. Only in a few cases was there no connection between the dreams and what was spoken. However, some of the respondents could not even remember their dreams.

What can I do about talking in my sleep?

Since talking at night while sleeping does not actually have any negative consequences for our health, it does not necessarily have to be treated. However, the phenomenon could lead to problems if you talk more often in your sleep and the partner feels disturbed by it. If you want to take action against talking in your sleep, there are the following tips:

  • Provide relaxation: Yoga and autogenic training help the mind and body shut down and relax before going to sleep.
  • Light meals: If large, heavy meals are eaten late at night, digestion is very busy during the night, which can disrupt sleep. That's why it's better to eat light meals at least three hours before bed.
  • No luxury foods: Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine are also better avoided in the evening because they can have a negative effect on sleep.
  • Create routine: Falling asleep rituals such as reading a few pages every evening or drinking a certain tea help the body to adjust to the night's rest.

Important: If you have the feeling that talking in your sleep can be traced back to psychological stress, you should speak to a doctor.

Reading tips: We explain what sleep restriction is here. We also reveal natural sleeping pills and make it easier for those who are grumpy to get out of bed.

Do you want to talk to others about sleep? Then take a look at our BRIGITTE Community.