Talking in one’s sleep, medically known as somniloquy, is a common type of parasomnia in which a person speaks while asleep without being aware of it. The speech can range from murmuring and unintelligible sounds to clear sentences or conversations. According to physician Dr Kunal Sood, the condition is generally harmless and usually does not require treatment.

In an Instagram post on August 31, Dr Sood, a US-based physician specialising in anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine, explained why people can sometimes sound fully awake while sleeping. He noted that sleep talking can occur during different stages of sleep, and people generally have little or no memory of what they said after waking. The behaviour can occur without the person fully waking up.

Sleep talking may become more noticeable in certain circumstances. Dr Sood highlighted stress, sleep deprivation, illness and fragmented sleep as factors that can make the behaviour more common. While the person may appear to be awake because the speech is sometimes coherent, this does not necessarily mean they have consciously awakened or are aware of the conversation.

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The physician explained that the brain does not completely switch off during sleep. Certain networks involved in speech can become active for short periods even when a person remains asleep. This can result in speech that sounds surprisingly clear, although the individual may not be consciously processing or remembering what they said.

For most people, occasional sleep talking is not considered a cause for concern and does not require medical treatment. However, Dr Sood noted that it may be worth discussing with a healthcare provider when it becomes very frequent or disruptive, particularly if it affects sleep or regularly disturbs others in the household.

Medical attention may also be appropriate when sleep talking occurs alongside other unusual sleep behaviours, including shouting, sleepwalking, violent movements or acting out dreams. In such situations, a healthcare professional can assess whether the behaviour is associated with another sleep-related condition and determine whether further evaluation is needed.

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