Why do we sleep talk and how to stop it

We all know that dreaming is part of the process of sleep, but what happens when you begin to actively dream? Active dreaming causes symptoms such as; sleep talking and sleepwalking. These symptoms usually begin during REM sleep, which is the part of the sleep process where dreaming and body movements occur.

According to the Sleep Foundation anyone can experience sleep talking so don’t be alarmed if you find yourself talking in your sleep. Some reasons why people sleep talk are: if you have been stressed a lot, if you have depression; this is because sleep talking is commonly seen in context with other disorders, daytime drowsiness and excessive amounts of alcohol. But there are ways to help reduce the likelihood of talking in your sleep.  

Here are some tips from the Sleep Foundation to stop talking in your sleep;

1. Follow a regular sleeping pattern, meaning going to bed at the same time every night, this will make you more refreshed for the day ahead,
2. Get at least eight hours of sleep each night,
3. Refrain from drinking alcohol, eating a heavy meal and excessive amounts of stress an hour before bed,
4. Finally, stay off electronics such as; your phone, tablet, laptop and refrain from watching TV before you go to bed, and using devices in bed,

Our Silentnight expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan says “people who sleepwalk and sleep talk are usually creative types” who have trouble learning how to manage their creative process before going to sleep, so they are being kept up because their brain is too active when they want to go to sleep.

We also have some tips to help control your creative process:

1. Taking six minutes at the end of the day to meditate,
2. Do physical exercise after a stressful day,
3. Allow space during the day to be as creative as you can be,
4. Map out your work-week to keep yourself on-track and stress-free.

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