Somniloquy
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217401114
2008-06-05T21:35:11Z
FoolsWar
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Fixed previously created link.
{{Unreferenced|date=March 2007}}
'''Somniloquy''' or '''sleep-talking''' is a [[parasomnia]] that refers to talking aloud in one's sleep. It can be quite loud, ranging from simple sounds to long speeches, and can occur many times during sleep. Listeners may or may not be able to understand what the person is saying.
Sleep-talking usually occurs during transitory arousals from NREM sleep, which is when the body does not move smoothly from one stage in NREM sleep to another, and they become partially aroused from sleep. Further it can also occur during [[Rapid eye movement sleep|REM]] sleep at which time it represents a motor breakthrough (see [[sleep paralysis]]) of dream speech, words spoken in a dream are spoken out loud.
Sleep-talking can occur by itself or as a feature of another [[sleep disorder]] such as:
*REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) - loud, emotional or profane sleep talking
*[[Sleepwalking]]
*[[Night terror]]s - intense fear, screaming, shouting
*[[Sleepeating|Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED)]]
Sleep-talking is very common and is reported in 50% of young children, with most of them outgrowing it by [[puberty]], although it may persist into adulthood (about 5% of adults are reported to talk in their sleep). It appears to run in families.
Sleep-talking by itself is harmless; however, it can wake up others and cause them [[wikt:consternation|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 (see above). Sleep-talking can be monitored by a partner or by using an audio recording device; devices which remain idle until detecting a soundwave are ideal for this purpose. In order to prevent sleep-talking a [[mouthguard]] may be worn.
One famous sleep talker is [[Dion McGregor]], a man who became somewhat of an underground celebrity when his roommate Michael Barr recorded his nightly soliloquies (which were often hilariously detailed), which were then released as a series of albums in the 60's.
==External links==
*[http://sleepeducation.com/Disorder.aspx?id=16 SleepEducation.com]
*[http://www.stayinginshape.com/3osfcorp/libv/p04.shtml OSF Healthcare]
*[http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/sleeptalk.html The Sleep Well]
*[http://www.experienceproject.com/group_profile.php?g=1736 Sleep Talking Personal Accounts & Support]
*[http://www.NateatNight.com/ Example of a man sleep talking]
*[http://www.sleeponthemic.com/ Examples of Sleep Talking]
*[http://www.echonyc.com/~ngraham/ Somniloquies in the form of poems, audio and video pieces by Nancy Graham]
*[http://www.pentameonus.com/ Home of Matthew James' Religious Somni-Sync Studies.]
{{SleepSeries2}}
[[Category:Sleep disorders]]
[[es:Somniloquía]]
[[fr:Somniloquie]]
[[ja:寝言]]
[[pt:Sonilóquio]]