How To Stop Sleep Talking
Also called parasomnia, sleep talking is a kind of sleep abnormality that can interfere with your sleep and with the sleep of those next to you. It is a common and yet, particularly frustrating problem. Typically people who talk in their sleep are unaware of their actions and of the effect that they are having of the quality of their sleep.
Among many possible causes for sleep talking, the most common is stress. Sometimes the mind is just unable to stop replaying all of the troubling events of the day. There are also many other reasons that sleep talking might occur, including lack of sleep, eating too much before bed and not eating enough before going to sleep.
There is to date no medical ‘cure’ for sleep talking, but there are some things that can be done to help with this situation:
Relaxation: There are many different types of stress relievers that might help this condition. Different options include: massage, meditation or prayer, or exercise such as walking or yoga. Anything that is found to be soothing in nature to the sleep talker may ease the problem.
Hypnosis: There are those people that say that since sleep talking is not a conscious decision, that hypnosis, which deals with the unconscious mind, is a good option. Hypnotists feel that treating the disorder with hypnotic therapy has the potential to work well because it reaches the subconscious mind where the root of the problem lies.
Diet: What is eaten in the hours preceding sleep is of great importance. Meals that are large, heavy and high in fat are generally not a good idea right before going to bed. A nutritious meal that is light is usually a good choice. Also, avoid things in your diet such as, alcohol, energy drinks and caffeine.
Finally, the most critical piece of advice is to search out professional help from a sleep specialist or therapist. Evaluation at a licensed sleep center is sometimes the only way proper treatment can be determined, although many people leave this option until last in their quest to stop their problem.
