Do you talk in your sleep? Physician Dr Kunal Sood explains why that really happens and when you should get help

Talking while asleep is a type of parasomnia, a common condition that is generally harmless and does not require any treatment, as per Dr Kunal Sood.

Did you know talking in one’s sleep is a fairly common condition, and usually quite harmless? Medically known as somniloquy, it can involve a person murmuring, speaking gibberish, or even speaking in clear sentences, which can make them appear awake.

Taking to Instagram on August 31, Dr Kunal Sood, a US-based physician in anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine, explained the condition and shared when one should consider seeking medical help.

What is sleep talking?

Dr Sood said, “If you're talking in your sleep, you can sometimes sound completely awake, even saying full sentences or having what sounds like a real conversation. And understanding why that happens can help you know when sleep talking is harmless and when it may be worth paying attention to.”

The physician explained talking in one’s sleep as a type of parasomnia, or abnormal behaviour during sleep, where speech happens when a person is sleeping without them being aware of it.

As Dr Sood noted, it can happen during different stages of sleep, and most people have no memory of what they said. the next morning. There are some situations in which talking in one's sleep can become more common. That includes being stressed, sleep-deprived, sick, and experiencing fragmented sleep.

Explaining how a person can speak clearly while sleeping, Dr Sood highlighted, “The brain is not completely off while you sleep. Certain networks involved in speech can briefly become active even though the person never fully wakes up, which is why the words can sometimes sound surprisingly coherent.”

When should one consider seeking medical help?

According to Dr Sood, talking while asleep is mostly harmless and does not require any treatment. However, there are some cases which are worth discussing with a healthcare provider. These are when talking while sleeping becomes very frequent or disruptive, or occurs along with behaviours like shouting, sleepwalking, violent movements, or acting out dreams.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Dr Kunal Sood, MD, is a double board-certified physician in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine. He did his residency and fellowship in anesthesiology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, followed by a one-year fellowship in interventional pain medicine. He later became the Medical Director of the office in Germantown, Maryland.