In a nutshell
Sleeping people may mumble, say individual words, or speak whole sentences. They often do not remember it in the morning, and what they said is not a reliable account of actual experiences.
Why does it happen?
Language and motor activity are not continuously switched off during sleep. Sleep talking can occur in different sleep stages and can include both intelligible speech and unintelligible sounds. Which subprocesses are activated in each case is not yet fully understood.
Frequency
Occasional sleep talking is common, especially in childhood. It is often noticed only by other people, so observation and recall affect the reported figures.
Frequency is a qualitative description, not your individual probability.
Is it normal?
Isolated sleep talking is usually harmless.
When to seek advice
Newly conspicuous sleep talking together with violent movements, injuries, or pauses in breathing should be assessed by a sleep-medicine specialist.
Does this happen to you?
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Sources (2)
- What Does the Sleeping Brain Say? Syntax and Semantics of Sleep Talking in Healthy Subjects and in Parasomnia Patients (opens a new tab)
This source supports the description and physiological context of this entry.
- Sleep talking: what happens in your brain? (opens a new tab)
This source supports the description and physiological context of this entry.
Editorial update: . AI-assisted research and editing; not individually reviewed by a physician. How we research
