How to survive sleeping with a sleep talker

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Are you or a loved one speaking in your mind? sleep? Is it common? sleep problems For many people, experts say, yes.

About 50% of children talk in their sleep, but they usually outgrow this, but only about 5% of adults talk in their sleep. night abuse, by American Academy of Sleep Medicine. However, about 60 to 65 percent of adults will experience nocturnal speech at least once in their lifetime, the society said.

Self-talk during sleep can occur at any time stages of sleepbut also rapid eye movements According to experts, REM is the stage where dreams appear. These one-sided conversations are usually harmless and may include mumbling, moaning, gibberish, as well as vulgar language and outright shouting.

At that point, your bed partner may stop watching the chatter The more interesting and start looking for a way protect your sleepsaid Dr. Carlos Schenk, professor and senior staff psychiatrist and sleep disorder expert at the University of Minnesota Hennepin County Medical Center.

“There are a few things you, your bed partner, can do to save on sleep,” says Schenk. “But first check to see if there are any hidden issues that are causing the problem.”

Talking in your sleep, etc. Talking in your sleep, may be associated with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Medications to treat depression and other mental illnesses, high blood pressure, seizures, asthma, and oddly enough, other sleep disorders can also cause sleep talking. According to the Cleveland Clinic.

“If your partner, who has never talked in their sleep before, suddenly starts talking in their sleep after age 50, and it becomes louder and more frequent, contact your doctor and get a neurological exam. “We should,” Schenk said. Said. “It can be the first sign of a neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s disease.”

obstructive sleep apnea This is a severe sleep disorder in which breathing stops for 10 seconds to two minutes or more 30 times an hour, and the brain may become partially aroused and start making rattling noises. Often, a bed partner is the first to notice sleep apnea, observing them stop breathing completely and then gasp.

Acid reflux disease, or the more serious form of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can also cause regional agitation and cause brain speech, Schenk said.

Tips for dealing with sleep talking

White noise generators and loud fans are great defenses, says Jennifer Mundt, assistant professor of sleep medicine, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

“Earplug Or comfortable noise-cancelling headphones may also be helpful, she said. Earplugs come in several forms, including expandable foam, pre-molded versions, and custom moldings made to precisely fit the shape and size of your ear canal.

“And try to go to bed before the sleeper speaks so you don’t wake up easily. That’s where a white noise generator or a loud fan can be very helpful,” Schenk said.

Now, it’s time for some detective work. Experts say work with your bed partner to find triggers for sleep talking, such as stress, alcohol use, lack of sleep, not following your normal sleep schedule, or even sleeping in a new environment.

For some people, something as mild as going on vacation or sleeping in a new place can trigger an episode, Mundt said.

“At times like this, your brain becomes a little more alert because you’re in a new environment, which means it’s more likely to be dangerous. to “There’s partial arousal, where some parts of the brain are awake and other parts are asleep,” Mundt said.

Ultimately, the responsibility of sleep talkers is to own their disorder. find a solution Schenk said people should stop interfering with their partner’s sleep.

“People who talk in their sleep have to be very careful with their partners,” Schenk says. “If your symptoms worsen when you sleep on your back, try purchasing a nightshirt with a tennis ball in the back of your shirt so you can’t sleep on your back.”

And if alcohol is a trigger, that should also be stopped or reduced, he said. “Avoid alcohol so you can be considerate of your bed partner who may be disturbed by sleep talking.”

Sleep talking is a sleep disorder that falls into the same category as sleep terrors, sleep eating, and sleep paralysis. sleeping sex. All are arousal disorders, where one part of the brain is awake and the other part is asleep.

Parasomnias often run in families, and if you had parasomnias as a child, you are more likely to develop parasomnias. Schenk says that if a person has multiple first-degree relatives with parasomnias, their childhood sleep behaviors are much more likely to persist or recur into adulthood.

“There is no way to predict that you will develop a parasomnia. Some people who talk or walk in their sleep as children return to their old behaviors as adults, but many “That’s not the case,” he says.

Sleep talking often occurs spontaneously “in a rather unpredictable manner.” Schenk said it can also develop after a fever or emotional stress. However, “sleep talking should be distinguished from atonia, a sleep-related breathing disorder that is usually characterized by moaning during sleep.”

Many people who talk in their sleep do not require treatment, but if the disorder is severe, treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which aims to identify and reduce stress triggers and negative thoughts about sleep, may be helpful. there is.

good sleep hygiene, Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding caffeine after 3pm, and avoiding light in your bedroom, including screens like smartphones, laptops, and TVs, can also help.