Image: Corbis
Adam is described on his wife Karen's website as a "mild-mannered English husband." However, once asleep Adam becomes the Sleep Talkin' Man who lives a "colorful existence in his dreams." STM, as he is known on her blog, says some of the darnedest things (though they are definitely R-rated so be wary).
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Sleep talking (formally known as somniloquy) is actually more common than you might think. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) 50 percent of children talk in their sleep, but only 5 percent of adults do the same. People who talk in their sleep may also walk in their sleep.
As sleep talking goes, those who suffer are not usually the chatty ones, but their sleeping partners. Sharing a bed with a sleep talker can cause lots of stress and tension in the relationship, however in this case it is quite the opposite. Adam's wife Karen claims she never heard him talking in his sleep until 2009, and she immediately began writing it down.
According to sleep specialists, "sleep talking does not-- in fact cannot-- occur during dreaming. Dreaming happens during REM sleep, and you are paralyzed then. Sleep talking occurs during the lighter phase of sleep, and it's just sort of the subconscious firing off," says Karen. Also according to the AASM the nighttime chatter may be offensive or vulgar, though they don't state the reasons.
After she began posting STM online, the blog began to become more popular, eventually landing them on the talk show circuit. However, not everyone takes STM lightly, some commenters are convinced it's fake, but Karen insists otherwise. To detractors, Karen said, "I totally respect your point of view. I had originally put up the blog for ourselves and our friends, and we're OK with the fact that some people don't believe it."
Medical science has still not discovered a cause for sleep talking, but the common belief is that it could be anything from stress, to a large meal before bed, to genetic factors - as it often runs in a family - or indication of mental disorders. Simply put, it could be caused by any number of things. The medical information was quick to point out that sleep talking rarely requires treatment.
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Karen is very up front about her husband's quirky condition. They often listen to the recordings together in the morning with Adam dumbstruck at hearing himself saying ridiculous things. According to Karen, Adam's vocalizations wake her up, but only happen two or three times in a full night, usually in a few minute span before he's silent again. Which is good, as somniloquy has no known cure. So it looks as if Karen and STM are in for a lifetime of humorous nighttime quips.
Below are some favorites from the clips from the last few weeks they are all safe for work, but if you're feeling adventurous check out the site SleepTalkin'Man.
"Vampire Penguins and Zombie guinea pigs? We're done for... done for."
"Don't leave the duck there, it's totally irresponsible. Put it on the swing, it will have much more fun."
"I don't break hearts. No. I DESTROY THEM. I'm the Death Star of break-ups."
Sources: National Sleep Foundation, American Society of Sleep Medicine, SleepTalkin'Man
Tags: Mental Health, Sleep
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