How do I know if I am getting quality sleep?

Quite a number of patients resort to drinking alcohol in an attempt to overcome their problem with the initiation of sleep. No doubt, after drinking alcohol, one can usually fall asleep much faster. The chief drawback is that alcohol leads to sleep fragmentation, which means that the person may wake up after every 2 to 3 hours and, hence, it is harder for him to get into a deep sleep. Deep sleep is important for tissue repair and rest. Alcohol also suppresses REM sleep, which is important for memory consolidation.

What is sleep talking? Sleep talking, or somniloquy, is the act of speaking during sleep. It is a type of parasomnia -- an abnormal behaviour that takes place during sleep. It refers to speaking words or sounds during sleep without any awareness of the event as it happens. It is a relatively frequent event of utterances to coherent conversation during sleep. The patients have no memory of the events and may convey information that may have little resemblance to the truth. The nighttime chatter may be harmless, or it could be graphic.