Does Your Partner Sleep Talk?

It’s a real sleep disorder called somniloquy. However, if your partner talks in his or her sleep, don’t wait for them to reveal a deep, dark secret because it rarely happens.

Sleep-talking commonly occurs in children. Generally, it occurs less and less or disappears with age.

Although its name means “to talk in dreams”, it’s not actually the case.

• Somniloquy mostly occurs in the stage of deep sleep, when we’re not dreaming.
• The person who talks in their sleep doesn’t remember having done so.
• In most cases, the things a person might say in their sleep are difficult to understand. These might simply be ramblings or random words.

Sometimes they might speak in complete sentences, but their sentences are completely out of context. So, if your partner speak-talks and seems to be saying something interesting, there’s little that could prove otherwise.

What could be causing your partner to talk in his or her sleep?

Normally, sleep-talking is harmless. Even if it is so, it’s always a good idea to look into the causes of somniloquy.

One of the causes is genetics, which is why if you know of other family members that sleep-talk, there’s no reason to be worried about the habit.

Stress, anxiety and depression can trigger episodes of solmniloquy. In light of this, you should seek out therapeutic counselling in order to tackle the root of the problem in order to prevent more serious consequences.

Some medications, alcohol or fevers can also cause these nocturnal monologues. If that’s your case, the habit will stop as soon as the causes disappear.

Having a very tense day can also lead a person to talk in his or her sleep. In addition, not getting enough sleep, suffering from nightmares or sleep apnea can also be possible causes.

This is exactly why it’s very important to adopt good habits.

Only in very rare cases does somniloquy have to do with a mental problem or a serious alteration in sleeping patterns. However, if it appears suddenly in people over 25 years of age, it might be an indication of something serious in which case the person would need to visit a medical specialist.

What should you do if your partner sleep-talks?

Taking action for the sleep-talking depends on how serious of a problem it is.

• If the sleep-talk occurs less than once a week, it’s a minor case.
• A moderate case of sleep-talking happens more than once a week, but not every night and it disturbs the talker’s partner to some extent.
• If the sleep-talking occurs every night and interrupts the partner’s sleep, then it’s a serious case of somniloquy.

If your partner talks in his or her sleep and it’s become an uncomfortable problem, then it’s time to act.

Where do you begin? Suddenly waking them up doesn’t seem to be the best option.

Some tips

• Not getting enough sleep can lead to somniloquy. In light of that, establishing good sleeping habits and setting aside time to sleep might improve the situation.
• Taking a warm bath and listening to music can induce more peaceful dreams that don’t come with the undesired conversations.
• Also, a comfortable environment set at the right temperature is important for securing sound sleep.
• Avoiding alcohol before retiring for bed is a good idea. Alcohol contains stimulating substances that make it harder to sleep.
• You should try a natural, relaxing tea that induces sleep.
• Try to go to bed at least three hours after eating dinner. You should also try to avoid sweets and caffeine as well, especially for kids.

Some people are affected by watching TV before going to bed because it alters their melatonin production. Removing the TV from the room might be a way to solve the problem.

If the problem doesn’t improve and turns into a chronic condition, you should make an appointment with a sleep specialist or with a psychologist.

If your partner sleep-talks and it’s really affecting the quality of your sleep, you might want to consider other actions. Trying out earplugs, a white noise generator or even sleeping in a different room all might be good options.

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