Adult Onset Sleep Talking

Hi Michele,

Talking while sleeping, on a regular basis, is often considered to be a symptom of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). RBD more typically causes abrupt body movements such as kicking or punching while sleeping. This can often cause injury to the individual or their mate if they sleep together. It may be worth discussing your son's condition with his doctor as RBD has implications for a major future health issue which his doctor can explain to him fully. His doctor can also confirm RBD as the cause.

As far as a potential natural remedy, melatonin has shown significant benefit in human studies and has a very good safety profile. Some studies have suggested that melatonin should be a frontline treatment option prior to testing of prescription medications as discussed in this Cleveland Clinic article :

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24465-rem-sleep-behavior-disorder-rbd

Here is a relevant study quote :

' Melatonin is a hormone your pineal gland naturally makes that's essential for regulating your sleep cycle. However, there are also synthetic forms of melatonin. It's considered the first-line medication for treating RBD, as it rarely causes side effects. Your provider will likely recommend starting at a baseline dose and then increasing the dose until your symptoms improve. '

The following study is interesting because it suggests that melatonin might potentially have healing effects when used for 6 months or more, whereas prescription RBD drugs do not have healing effects. Here is a link to a very relevant human study :

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpi.12759

Here is a very relevant and significant study quote suggesting that melatonin is doing more than just temporarily reducing symptoms of RBD:

' With melatonin, RBD symptom severity gradually improved over the first 4 weeks of treatment (Ikelos-RS: 6.1 vs. 2.5; CGI Severity: 5.7 vs. 3.2) and remained stably improved (mean follow-up 4.2 ± 3.1years; range: 0.6-21.7years). Initial response was slowed to up to 3 months with melatonin-suppressing (betablockers) or REM sleep spoiling co-medication (antidepressants) and failed with inadequately timed melatonin intake. When melatonin was discontinued after 6 months, symptoms remained stably improved (mean follow-up after discontinuation of 4.9 ± 2.5years; range: 0.6-9.2). When administered only 1-3 months, RBD symptoms gradually returned. Without any melatonin, RBD symptoms persisted and did not wear off over time. Clock-timed, low-dose, long-term melatonin treatment in patients with iRBD appears to be associated with the improvement of symptoms. The outlasting improvement over years questions a pure symptomatic effect. Clock-time dependency challenges existing prescription guidelines for melatonin. '

His doctor will have to confirm RBD and the cause, but now your son has a starting point to consider and discuss with his doctor and if it turns out to be RBD, your son has a relatively safe treatment option available in melatonin. The study suggesting long lasting benefit if used for at least 6 months used just 2mg/night at the same time every night. Taking it at the same time (10:00~11:00 pm) every night seemed to have significant importance in translating to effectiveness.

Art

When I was about his age, instead of regular dreaming, I would, sometimes, go off exploring with less-than-physical buds and, when we discovered particularly interesting things or ideas, I would sort of frantically try to translate the more awesome discoveries into English (words) on my way back, before I "woke up". Which - try as I might - didn't work as it would be such a short trip.

The only actual "words" I ever remembered from those expeditions were merely analogous and something about "pushing the envelope".

If it was me, I wouldn't interfere.