When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
In fact, it was only recently that my husband realized I wasn’t awake during these interactions.
Im not only a prolific sleep talker, but I occasionally experience night terrors, too.
So, do the two go hand in hand?
And what makes someone susceptible to parasomnia?
What is parasomnia?
Parasomnia refers to any unusual or undesirable physical activity or experiences that occur during sleep.
For me, this presents itself as a semi-awake, semi-asleep hallucination of spiders crawling on my bed.
Alongside this, I sleep talk almost every night.
From in-depth conversations with my partner to general ramblings.
Other times, its more clear that Im asleep.
So, why does this happen?
What causes parasomnia?
However, it can also be genetic.
If both of your parents sleep talk, its likely you will, too.
For me, after looking into the causes, Id say its a combination of stress and anxiety.
Does parasomnia affect sleep quality?
The short answer is yes, parasomnia can affect sleep quality.
Different types of parasomnia will affect our sleep in different ways.
During this study, there was also a slightly worse memory performance among the sleep talking participants.
It also found that sleep talkers were more associated with sleep fragmentation.
In my experience, night terrors definitely impact the quality of my sleep because I wake up fully.
It also takes a long time to calm myself down enough to fall back asleep.
How to stop parasomnias and get better sleep
Theres not a guaranteed way to stop parasomnia.
For more advice, read how theexperts advice stopping sleep talking.
This in turn helps you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper throughout the night.
Consistency is key, so you should try and keep the samesleep scheduleeven at the weekends.
Avoid alcohol and late night snacks
Alcohol is reported to be a big contributor to parasomnias.
Itseffect on sleep qualityhas been well documented, with even one drink negatively impacting the rest you get.
To reduce the likelihood of experiencing a parasomnia, reduce your alcohol intake in the evenings.
These can cause spikes of energy which can disrupt your sleep.
Create a calm and comfortable sleeping environment
Your sleeping environment can impact your sleep a lot.
Ensuring you have reduced ambient noise and light can help avoid disruptions to your sleep.
Try black out curtains or white noise machines.
If your body is supported and comfortable throughout the night, youre likely to sleep deeper.
