Somniloquie: Why do we speak in our sleep?

Many people talk unconsciously during sleep. Sleep talking is generally considered a harmless behavioral abnormality. But why do we talk, mumble, or scream in our sleep, and what is the cause and significance behind it? Learn here what nighttime chatter is all about and what you can do to sleep more peacefully.

Table of contents

1. Unconscious talking in sleep
2. Why do we talk in our sleep?
3. What meaning do words have in sleep?
4. Is talking in your sleep harmful?
5. This helps against talking in your sleep
6. Conclusion

1. Unconscious talking in sleep

Snoring, talking, teeth grinding or sleepwalking – unusual behavior at night is probably more common than we think. One of these unusual phenomena, whose occurrence we usually don't even notice, is sleep talking.

Somniloquy refers to the unconscious behavior of talking and pronouncing sounds, words, or sentences during sleep. This behavior, which manifests itself in various forms from making unintelligible sounds to speaking entire conversations, is particularly common in childhood. Between the ages of 2 and 10, almost 50% of children talk during sleep. However, even in adulthood, almost 5% of people are affected.

Somniloquy is generally referred to as a sleep disorder, but it's not actually a true illness; it's a largely harmless behavior. Sleep talking is usually not even noticed by those affected, and it has little impact on the quality of their sleep. Nighttime conversations usually only become a problem when they disrupt the sleep of those in the same bed or room, similar to noise or loud snoring.

2. Why do we talk in our sleep?

Our sleep occurs in several phases, during which our brain is active at different levels. You can find out exactly what happens during sleep ➥ here Although nighttime conversations can occur in any sleep phase, they occur noticeably more often during REM phases – exactly when we dream.

Scientific studies show that the content of speech often corresponds to the events of concurrent dreams. This suggests that unconscious speech may be related to the visual processing of everyday events and information. However, the exact cause or triggers for the occurrence of somniloquy are still unknown, even in research.

By the way: In close family circles, several people are often affected. It is therefore assumed that sleep talking is hereditary.

3. What is the meaning of the words in sleep?

Most speech during sleep is unintelligible to others and amounts to nothing more than indistinct murmuring, laughter, screams, or short fragments of words and sounds. Sleep paralysis, which occurs during the REM phase, paralyzes the muscles and prevents our bodies from naturally responding to dream events. This also affects the muscles needed for articulation and speech. Conversations during sleep are therefore not always understandable. However, some people still manage to articulate whole words and sentences.But don't worry! Even though we express ourselves clearly in our sleep, what we say is usually meaningless or dream-related, so you generally don't have to worry about unconsciously chatting about secrets or private matters.

4. Is talking in your sleep harmful?

In principle, unconscious talking during sleep is considered a harmless behavioral disorder. While these disorders may be disturbing for those affected, they are not harmful. Depending on the severity, however, the occurrence of somniloquy can disrupt the sleep of a partner or roommate, as the acoustic stimuli repeatedly awaken them and prevent them from sleeping soundly.

5. This helps against sleep talking

As long as you're healthy, don't suffer from other sleep disorders, increased psychological distress, or increased stress, and aren't bothering anyone else with sleep talking, it's generally not necessary to take action against somniloquy. However, if sleep talking bothers your bed partner or you still feel uncomfortable, these two tips can help.

» Good sleep hygiene

Good sleep hygiene helps improve sleep and prevent unusual behavior. Important factors include a regular sleep-wake rhythm, the right sleeping environment, and avoiding heavy meals, alcohol, and foods and beverages containing caffeine or nicotine before bedtime. You can find more information on proper sleep hygiene in ➥ this article.

» Relaxation exercises

Adequate relaxation before bedtime can reduce the frequency of sleep talking and promote healthy, restful sleep. Various techniques such as Qi Gong, yoga, or autogenic training support deep relaxation and balance and have already proven to be a useful aid for some people to combat frequent sleep talking. We have already published some on our blog. Relaxation techniques and herbal sedatives presented.

6. Conclusion

• Somniloquy refers to the unconscious behavior of talking and pronouncing sounds, words or sentences during sleep.

• Unconscious talking in sleep is harmless, but is often perceived as disturbing by those affected or their partners.

• The cause of somniloquy is not scientifically known, but, as with dreams, it could lie in the processing of information and experiences.

• Good sleep hygiene and targeted relaxation before bedtime can reduce the frequency of sleep talking.

Best wishes and see you soon!