Q: I have a tendency to talk while sleeping since last 7-8 years. I am 26 years and because of this my roommates get disturbed. They also cannot remember what I say during that time. Since I am going to finish my studies wont it have an adverse impact on my adult life (like marriage). The thing is that I am tense all the time. Please suggest some remedy for this strange habit.

A:Sleeptalking is a sleep disorder classified under parasomnias. The person talks during stage 3 and 4 of deep sleep, at times very lucidly as if responding to someone. He may appear distressed or emotionally charged. It might appear as if he is responding to a dream but it is not so. The person forgets the event in the morning. This is a benign disorder but may disturb the persons living with him. It may happen during stress and seems to be related to sleep apnoea {occurs during snoring}. One should have regular sleep, deal with stress, if any or rule out sleep apnoea. One should not try to analyse the content of speech uttered because it may not be related to anything and cause misunderstandings unnecessarily.