The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

Selective Somniliquy - Why Do We Only Sleep Talk Aloud A Small Part Of A Dream?

My husband stated that a couple of hours prior to my waking, I blurted out a phrase in my sleep. I remembered who I was yelling at in my dream when he told me what I said.


My question is this: If a person is having an intense dialogue with someone in a dream, what makes just a portion of what's being said become sleep talk, and not more of, or most of the dialogue?

It was funny that with all I was yelling within the dream the part blurted aloud was a comment more "descript" than the rest.

Comments for Selective Somniliquy - Why Do We Only Sleep Talk Aloud A Small Part Of A Dream?

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 11, 2016
 That's what I do! NEW
by: Anonymous

I was looking for comments about what my problem is and you described what I've been doing. I notice that it happens in very emotional dreams, usually where I'm very angry at someone, or just really really wanting what I'm saying to be heard and acknowledged. In regard to the angry dreams, it always has to do with certain family members and situations that I have absolutely no control over, but upset me deeply. In real life I do have deep seated issues with these same people, but there is absolutely no possibility of resolving them. So I guess I yell at them in my sleep, because that's all I can do. The more worked up I get in the dream, the harder I try to actually vocalize my speech. Sometimes it comes out as only "jibber jabber", as my husband calls it. Other times it's full out phrases or sentences. When my husband tells me what I said, I can usually remember exactly what was going on in the dream and why I said what I said.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Sleep Talking Stories and Thoughts.



Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.