In Florida, USA, a man is known for muttering in his sleep, only to wake up with no recollection of what he said. His wife went to the extent of installing a camera in their bedroom to capture his sleep talk, often leading to laughter when they review the recordings, turning it into a source of entertainment during family gatherings.
Billy Kelshaw, a 49-year-old man living in the Tampa Bay area on the west coast of Florida, is currently unemployed and has been diagnosed with a condition known as somniloquy, where he talks in his sleep unaware of his actions, even engaging in conversations with others or chatting on his phone, as reported by the UK’s Daily Star on August 3.
Kelshaw first became aware of his condition 18 years ago but did not take it seriously until an incident where he inadvertently hit his wife’s head while sleeping, realizing the severity of his condition. Hence, in November 2022, he and his wife decided to install a camera in their bedroom to monitor his actions during sleep and document his sleep talk.
According to Kelshaw, most of the time, he speaks nonsensical words. However, upon reviewing the footage captured by the camera, he discovered that he had said some incredibly funny things, such as believing he was being chased by a shark after falling out of bed or calling his mom in his sleep to ask about attending weddings.
Describing his experiences, Kelshaw mentioned incidents like mistaking his daughter setting off fireworks in the yard, leading him to shout out the window and engaging in various other activities like car theft in his sleep. He confessed that his sleep issues have become a source of amusement for his family, with relatives gathering around the TV to watch his comedic nighttime antics and bursting into laughter.
Upon seeing the footage for the first time, Kelshaw was astounded and found it hard to believe what he was witnessing, while his wife, who always finds his sleep talk amusing, continues to support him through his journey with the sleep disorder.
Kelshaw admitted that his sleep disorder could be a precursor to Parkinson’s disease but reassured that his doctor is not overly concerned about it. His wife, a nurse, remains vigilant about his health and safety at all times.
The American Sleep Foundation notes that somniloquy, or sleep talking, is a type of sleep disorder where individuals unconsciously speak during sleep. The utterances during sleep talk may range from complex conversations or monologues to utter nonsense or muttering.
Research indicates that up to 66% of people have experienced sleep talking, making it one of the most common sleep problems. Despite its prevalence, only 17% claim to have experienced sleep talking in the past three months.
Although somniloquy is more common in children, it is believed to affect fewer adults. The occurrence rate of sleep talking is the same among males and females; however, due to the lack of awareness by the affected individuals, data on the prevalence of sleep talking may not be entirely accurate.
In most cases, sleep talking is harmless and usually does not significantly impact the person’s sleep or lead to frequent occurrences causing any serious issues. Nevertheless, this sleep disorder may disrupt the sleep of bed partners or roommates, affecting their own sleep quality.
Since the exact causes of sleep talking remain unclear, there are limited methods for effectively suppressing sleep talking. Given that sleep talking occurs infrequently and has minimal negative effects in most cases, treatment is often deemed unnecessary.
For those seeking to control or eliminate episodes of sleep talking, focusing on sleep hygiene may be a beneficial starting point. Sleep hygiene practices include maintaining a consistent bedtime, avoiding stimulants like caffeine in the hours before sleep, refraining from using electronic devices at least 1.5 hours before bedtime, creating a comfortable sleep environment, engaging in regular exercise, and allocating time for relaxation and rest.