Talk About Sleep Talking
Have you ever been made aware by someone that you sleeptalk? If so, then you are not alone because it is quite a common problem and as yet, no real cure for it. So, let’s talk about sleep talking and the possible causes plus techniques and remedies that may help to alleviate it. To keep it simple and without blinding you with science, this condition is also known as somniloquy and although you will not be aware that you are talking, chatting or mumbling in your sleep, your partner will and you will both eventually suffer from the effects of disturbed sleep.
Possible causes and triggers for sleep talking:
It’s believed that sleep talking is triggered by stress, emotional problems, worry, and illness, lack of sleep, going to bed after a heavy meal, too much caffeine, watching horror movies, violent and shocking news coverage that plays one your mind etc.etc. No one really knows the causes of this sleep disorder and so it may be useful if you try to identify any of the ones listed and eliminate them one by one until you find a possible culprit. The condition is normally considered as relatively harmless but in a minority of cases, it could be that someone is suffering a more serious health or sleeping disorder. If your child talks in their sleep, it can sometimes accompany sleep walking, nightmares or even night terrors, so get the problem checked out with your doctor.
Let’s talk about sleep talking solutions
If you think, your night chatter is being caused by work or emotional worries then when you go to bed, your mind will be constantly churning and going over all the anxieties of the day.
- Try discussing your worries with your partner, a friend or even the boss if the worries are work related.
- Learn how to meditate, free your mind of those nagging worries, even if the effects are short lived, they should relax you sufficiently enough to get some undisturbed sleep.
- Is the food you eat a trigger? Perhaps you are eating your evening meal too close to bedtime so try having this meal a few hours earlier and eat a light supper if still hungry at bedtime.
- Make sure you have plenty of sleep and don’t burn the candle at both ends. Sooner or later, it will catch up with you. The temptation is to stay up later during week days because you feel that you have little or no time to yourself and so you stay up longer than you should and before you know it the alarm clock starts ringing.
- Ask your partner or roommate to keep a diary and to note down the nights you talk in your sleep, what you say and how agitated you are. After two or three weeks, you may discover a pattern emerging, especially if you have started to eliminate some of the possible sleep talking triggers
If you are suffering badly or if it is your child that has this problem then talk about it to a sleep specialist or doctor in order for these professionals to dig down to the root causes and offer a proper diagnosis. Talk about sleep talking to your family, friends and colleagues, its good therapy and you may discover that you are not the only one who has these night time conversations. On a lighter note, take a look at this sleep talkin man. You are not alone!
