What is Somniloquy, or sleep talking?
Does your bed partner tell you that you whisper, laugh, mumble, or even outright talk in your sleep? Or does your child shout or give long, incomprehensible speeches? This is referred to as sleep talking, or somniloquy.
Unlike many other sleep disorders, which can have serious medical consequences, somniloquy is a parasomnia that is often light hearted. Witnessing someone sleep talking can be funny, charming, startling, vulgar, or strange. But fortunately, there are almost never any medical consequences to sleep talking, other than maybe keeping a bed partner awake.
Sleep talking episodes can last up to 30 seconds, but usually not beyond that [SleepFoundation]. People who sleep talk won’t remember there midnight diatribes the next morning.
Sleep talking can be:
- Mild – sleep talking less than once per week
- Moderate- sleep talking occurs every week but not every night
- Severe – sleep talking occurs nearly every night