'Newsweek' recently spoke with experts to explain why people talk in their sleep.
Dr. Greg Potter, co-founder and chief science officer at Resilient Nutrition, says that the phenomenon
of sleep talking is surprisingly widespread.
"Sleep talking—'somniloquy,' to use the scientific jargon—is a type of parasomnia, a category of sleep disorders made up of unusual behaviors during sleep. Most of us have talked during our sleep, especially in our youth, and sleep talking is usually of no concern. It's just vocalizations that take place during sleep, many of which are gibberish and most of which are forgotten on waking." Dr. Greg Potter, co-founder and chief science officer at Resilient Nutrition, via 'Newsweek'
A peer-reviewed WebMD article suggests that , "Half of all kids between the ages of three and 10 years old carry on conversations while asleep, and a small number of adults, about 5%, keep chit-chatting after they go to bed."
Lloyd Ripley-Evans, a psychologist at workplace mental well-being platform Plumm, suggests that
sleep-talking can be caused by a number of factors.
"Your mental and emotional state can interfere with your sleep and could play a significant role in increasing your chance of experiencing sleep talking episodes." Lloyd Ripley-Evans, a psychologist at workplace mental well-being platform Plumm, via 'Newsweek'
According to the experts, for most people who sleep-talk, the condition can be helped by developing healthy sleep habits.
These habits include: limiting consumption of alcohol and caffeine, sleeping in full darkness and getting regular exercise.