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Somniloquy, commonly referred to as sleep-talking, is a parasomnia in which one speaks aloud while asleep. It can range from simple mumbling sounds to loud shouts or long, frequently inarticulate, speeches. It can occur many times during a sleep cycle and during both NREM and REM sleep stages, though, as with sleepwalking and , it most commonly occurs during delta-wave NREM sleep or temporary arousals therefrom.
When somniloquy occurs during rapid eye movement sleep, it represents a so-called "sleep paralysis" of dream speech: words spoken in a dream are spoken out loud. Depending on its frequency, this may or may not be considered pathological. All motor functions are disabled during healthy REM sleep and therefore REM somniloquy is usually considered a component of REM behavior disorder.
Sleep-talking by itself is typically harmless; however, it can wake others and cause them consternation especially when misinterpreted as conscious speech by an observer. If the sleep-talking is dramatic, emotional, or profane it may be a sign of another sleep disorder. Sleep-talking can be monitored by a partner or by using an audio recording device; devices which remain idle until detecting a sound are ideal for this purpose.
Polysomnography (sleep recording) shows that episodes of sleep talking can occur in any stage of sleep.
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Sleep-talking can also be caused by depression, sleep deprivation, day-time drowsiness, Alcoholic drink, and fever. It often occurs in association with other sleep disorders such as confusional arousals, sleep apnea, and REM sleep behavior disorder. In rare cases, adult-onset sleep-talking is linked with a Mental disorder or nocturnal seizure.
In a study reporting the prevalence of sleep-talking in childhood, the authors reported that the frequency of sleep-talking differs between children. About half of the children have sleep-talking episodes at least once a year, but less than 10% of children present sleep-talking every night, whereas 20% to 25% talk in their sleep at least once a week. In addition, they did not find any difference between gender or socioeconomic class.
However, valid estimation of the prevalence of this phenomenon is difficult as the sleep-talker either does not remember or are not aware of their sleep-talking. The same uncertainty exists concerning the age of onset because early occurrences may have escaped notice. Thus, there are disparate results regarding its prevalence in the literature. (1981). 9781315802992, L. Erlbaum Associates. ISBN 9781315802992
One behavioral treatment has shown results in the past. Le Boeuf (1979) used an automated auditory signal to treat chronic sleep-talking in a person who had talked in his sleep for 6 years. An Aversives sound was produced for 5 seconds when he started talking in his sleep. Sleep-talking was rapidly eliminated, and the person demonstrated no adverse effects of treatment. With little treatment options, there are ways in which one can limit the frequency of sleep talking episodes by focusing on sleep hygiene. Some tips include the following:
Sleep-talking also appears in The Childhood of King Erik Menved, a 19th-century historical romance by Danish author Bernhard Severin Ingemann. In the story, a young girl named Aasé has the prophetic power of speaking the truth in her sleep. In an 1846 English translation, Aasé is described thus:
Walt Whitman wrote a now-lost novel based on Ingemann's romance, which he titled The Sleeptalker.
In Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland, Chapter VII, The Dormouse talks in his sleep, or at least seems to, and even sings in his sleep:
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