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Has your partner, or someone in your family ever told you that you talk in your sleep? If yes, then you are not the only one. Apart from whispering sweet nothings, laughing in sleep is also pretty common. Babies do it often, and so do adults. It can be a brief and quiet laughter, or a loud one. It seems to be amusing, and the good news is that it is usually harmless. Laughing in sleep is usually because of what you dream about. However, sometimes it can be due to a sleep disorder, or a neurological condition. On World Laughter Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of May, we tell you all about sleep-laughing or hypnogely.
Laughing in sleep may be due to the following reasons:
Most episodes of laughter occurs during rapid eye movement or REM sleep, which is associated with dreams, according to research published in Sleep Medicine. It is the stage where vivid dreams occur. On the basis of humorous or joyful dream, the brain may trigger laughter as part of the dream experience. “The dream stage is associated with heightened brain activity, which is accompanied by emotional responses, so laughter can be manifested physically,” says physician Dr Tharanath S.
Parasomnia, a type of sleep disorder, can trigger a person to perform actions while asleep, including laughing in sleep. Sometimes, the body fails to remain paralysed during REM sleep due to behavioural disorder, leading to physical reactions like smiling or full laughter.
In rare cases, sleep-laughing or hypnogely can be a symptom of neurological disorders, as per research published in The Canadian Journal Of Neurological Sciences. Advanced neurological disorders, like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or brain lesions, may cause involuntary laughter during sleep. “Under such neurological conditions, episodes of these kinds are more frequent, and may not be associated with dreaming,” says the expert.
It is a rare kind of epilepsy which involves sudden bouts of uncontrollable laughter. Such seizures are often caused in the hypothalamus or temporal lobe and may happen during sleep. Due to this, seizures are sometimes confused with dream-related laughter.
Stress may be one of the reasons behind laughing in sleep. Chronic stress, anxiety or mood disorders may also effect sleep patterns. “This can lead to elevated emotional responses during the dream stage, including laughter,” says Dr Tharanath.
Babies may smile or laugh in their sleep during active sleep, according to research published in Nature And Science Of Sleep. This behaviour is usually harmless and associated with normal development of brain and cognitive functions. “It is harmless, as newborns and infants spend a major part of their sleep in REM, where they experience active dreaming,” says the expert. It is believed that little ones may be processing sensory experiences and emotions, possibly leading to laughter.
Also, it is believed that babies are equipped with spontaneous reflexive behaviours, including smiling and laughing during sleep. “They are not necessarily associated with emotional stimulations rather these are part of early neural development,” says the expert.
Infants may also go through a process of consolidating memories and learning while sleeping. Laughter could be a result of positive emotional associations or simply a random neurological event. “Mostly in healthy babies, sleep laughter is typically a sign of positive growth and learning,” says the expert.
However, in rare cases, babies laughing in sleep could be related to seizures or neurological concerns. The condition may be serious and require medical attention if laughter is accompanied by jerky movements or abnormal breathing.
Yes, occasional laughter during sleep is generally considered absolutely normal. It often results from joyous dreams during REM sleep, as the brain is actively engaged with emotional experiences. In most of the cases, laughing in sleep is harmless and doesn’t indicate any underlying health problem.
Children and infants are more likely to laugh during sleep due to their longer REM cycles and brain development. Adults might laugh in sleep particularly during engaging or emotional dreams. “The laughter ranging from a quiet chuckle to loud, uncontrollable fits, but normally doesn’t last long,” says the expert.
In some cases medical intervention is needed if the laughter episodes are frequent, intense, or long in duration. “When the frequency of sleep laughter is high and disrupts sleep quality, or accompanied by other unusual behaviours, it may be linked to a health condition,” says the expert. The treatment of the condition depends on the cause.
Take a PollTake a PollLaughing in sleep is not harmful when it occurs occasionally and is not tied to a disorder. However, if sleep laughter occurs frequently and disrupts sleep, you should check with a doctor.
Yes, in rare cases, laughing in sleep can be a type of seizure known as a gelastic seizure. These seizures are characterised by sudden, uncontrolled laughter that is not dependent upon emotional content.
Laughing in your sleep cannot be evaluated as good or bad, but in most cases, it is harmless and potentially a positive sign. It often indicates that a person is in REM sleep, engaged in vivid dreams, and processing emotions.
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