Somniloquy is a phenomenon in which a person talks in their sleep and usually does not remember it. According to statistics, about 5 percent of adults and up to 50 percent of children occasionally talk in their sleep. Psychologist L. Verchinova provided a detailed account of this phenomenon.
This behavior is one of the most common forms of parasomnia — disorders that manifest as unusual actions or sensations during sleep. It poses no danger, except that it may confuse or frighten a person sleeping nearby.
Most often, sleep talking occurs during the rapid phase of sleep, when the brain releases glycine and GABA, paralyzing the body, except for the muscles responsible for eye movement and breathing.
Scientists have not yet been able to explain exactly why a person talks in their sleep. However, there are several hypotheses. According to one of them, sometimes the body partially avoids the action of glycine and GABA, causing some muscle groups, including the muscles of the larynx and tongue, to remain active.
According to Verchinova, the brain can be compared to an orchestra that does not immediately fall silent after a busy day but gradually quiets down, preparing for sleep. All "instruments" — areas of the brain — must enter a state of rest. But sometimes the "conductor" fails to calm one of the most active instruments — the speech center, and the person begins to talk in their sleep.
Verbal activity during sleep is more often observed with accumulated stress, illnesses, or after consuming alcohol. Additionally, a tendency for somniloquy may be hereditary.
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