Yelling or shouting in your sleep, also known as somniloquy, is a relatively common sleep phenomenon that can occur during any stage of sleep. While it may seem unusual, research suggests that up to 50-80% of children and 15% of adults talk in their sleep. This includes everything from quiet mumbling to loud shouting or screaming.
What Causes Yelling in Your Sleep?
There are a few potential causes of yelling or shouting during sleep:
- Nightmares – Having a frightening or disturbing dream can prompt yelling. Nightmares are more common in children but do occur in adults as well.
- Sleep terrors – These episodes of sudden terror during sleep often include screaming or shouting. They typically occur in the first few hours of sleep.
- REM sleep behavior disorder – This disorder causes people to physically act out their dreams, sometimes yelling or shouting. It is more common in middle-aged and older adults.
- Medications and substance use – Some prescription medications, sleep aids, and recreational drugs can trigger yelling during sleep.
- Sleepwalking – Shouting can be a feature of sleepwalking episodes.
- Sleep apnea – This condition causes breathing interruptions that may result in yelling out during sleep.
- Stress and anxiety – High stress levels may contribute to an increased incidence of parasomnias like nightmares that prompt yelling.
In many cases, yelling during sleep is tied to dreams and nightmares or parasomnias like sleepwalking. Certain medications and sleep disorders can also play a role in triggering these vocal outbursts.
What Does Yelling in Your Sleep Sound Like?
The yelling or shouting associated with various sleep phenomena can range from:
- Quiet mumbling or talking
- Calling out words or phrases
- Loud moaning or groaning
- Piercing screaming
- Shouting curse words or threats
The volume and specific sounds can vary substantially depending on the underlying cause. For example, someone yelling due to a nightmare will likely involve louder screaming compared to soft mumbling caused by medications.
When Are You Most Likely to Yell During Sleep?
You can potentially yell or call out during any stage of sleep. However, certain stages and times of night are more associated with vocalizations than others:
- During REM sleep – Most vivid dreaming occurs during REM sleep. Since nightmares can prompt yelling, REM is a prime time for sleep shouting episodes. REM occurs in longer intervals later in the sleep period.
- Within the first few hours of sleep – Sleep terrors tend to happen early in the night, within the first few hours of sleep. These early sleep disruptions often involve loud shouting or screaming.
- During stage 3 non-REM sleep – This very deep sleep stage is sometimes associated with bedwetting, sleepwalking, teeth grinding, and occasional yelling.
- When transitioning between sleep stages – The transitions between lighter and deeper sleep can trigger vocalizations like talking, yelling, or shouting.
You may be more likely to yell at certain points of the night depending on the specific sleep disorder or issue causing the vocalization.
Why Might You Yell During Sleep?
There are several possible reasons someone might yell or call out during sleep:
- Nightmares – Bad dreams prompt a fear response that may cause yelling. Adults normally have few nightmares, but stress can increase their frequency.
- Sleep terrors – These episodes of sudden panic awaken the brain enough to yell but not fully wake up. They commonly affect children.
- REM sleep behavior disorder – This disorder causes people to act out violent or defensive dreams by yelling or shouting.
- Sleepwalking – Yelling can be a feature of sleepwalking. The person may yell without full awareness or memory.
- Medications – Some antidepressants, sleep meds, and antihistamines can trigger vocalizations.
- Alcohol – Drinking before bed can increase dreaming and REM sleep disturbances and related yelling.
- Sleep apnea – Sufferers may yell out when struggling to breathe or as airways reopen.
- PTSD – Post-traumatic stress disorder involves frequent nightmares that often prompt shouting.
In most cases, parasomnias like sleep terrors and sleepwalking are to blame for sleep yelling in children. Nightmares, REM behavior disorder, medications, and sleep apnea more often underlie yelling in adults.
How to Stop Yelling During Sleep
Treatment for sleep yelling depends on identifying the underlying cause. Some strategies for reducing yelling and shouting during sleep include:
- Practicing good sleep hygiene like sticking to a routine and limiting caffeine
- Using relaxation techniques before bedtime to reduce anxiety
- Avoiding alcohol for a few hours before bed
- Working to manage stress during the day
- Stopping problematic medications under a doctor’s care
- Treating sleep disorders like sleep apnea
- Taking melatonin supplements to stabilize sleep cycles
- Using cognitive behavioral therapy to control nightmares
- Taking benzodiazepines or hypnotics for severe REM behavior disorder
While infrequent yelling during sleep is not necessarily concerning, chronic and disruptive nightly episodes should be evaluated by a doctor. Proper treatment can help stop unwanted vocalizations and improve sleep quality.
When to See a Doctor
Occasional minor sleep talking or shouting is usually not a concern. But see your doctor if you:
- Yell or shout every night
- Regularly wake your partner or family members with screaming
- Remember violent or upsetting dream content
- Have symptoms of an underlying sleep disorder
- Feel very tired or have impaired functioning during the day
- Have ever been injured or violent during an episode
Frequent disruptive yelling that is impacting sleep quality requires medical evaluation. A sleep study and assessment can identify any underlying sleep disorders.
Tips for Bed Partners of Sleep Yellers
If your partner or family member yells during sleep, a few tips can help:
- Gently wake them just enough to stop the yelling but not fully wake them
- Try to record episodes to show the doctor
- Make sure the bedroom is safe and free of hazards in case they move around
- Encourage them to get checked for underlying conditions
- Consider separate bedrooms if it becomes disruptive
- Use earplugs or a white noise machine to dull the noise
While sharing a room with someone who yells in their sleep can be challenging, there are things you can do to cope with the situation and encourage them to get help.
Is Sleep Yelling Serious?
Occasional minor episodes of yelling during sleep are not necessarily serious on their own. However, chronic or disruptive screaming or shouting episodes could signal:
- An underlying sleep disorder like sleep apnea or narcolepsy
- A mental health condition like anxiety, PTSD, or REM behavior disorder
- Side effects from medications, drugs, or alcohol
Sleep yelling accompanied by daytime fatigue, impaired performance, or injury could indicate a sleep disorder or other medical condition requiring evaluation. Sudden onset in adults especially warrants medical assessment.
Can You Yell in Your Sleep?: The Bottom Line
To summarize the key points:
- Yelling or shouting during sleep is quite common, especially in children
- Nightmares, sleep terrors, sleepwalking, and REM behavior disorder often underlie episodes of sleep yelling
- Adults may yell due to sleep apnea, medication effects, sleep disorders, or substance use
- Treatment options range from sleep hygiene to cognitive therapy to addressing underlying conditions
- While occasional sleep yelling is not serious, chronic disruptive episodes should be evaluated medically
- Partners of sleep yellers should take safety precautions and encourage seeking treatment
Yelling during sleep can be alarming but is rarely cause for serious concern. Paying attention to associated symptoms, injury risks, and sleep disruptions can help determine when to seek medical advice.