ABSTRACT
Most observers state or imply that sleep-talking is a frequent occurrence in the general “normal” population, and especially so in children, adolescents, and young adults. Cameron observed that sleep-talking was ubiquitous among the barracks of U. S. troops in the Persian Gulf command in World War II—a setting with unusually severe stress. The highest incidence of sleep-talking was produced by C. Evans’ London Times survey, which utilized a selfselected, volunteer, well-educated population. The chapter presents material from some studies that specified in varying degree attempts to corroborate actual sleep-talking occurrences by reports of a wakeful external observer. P. F. MacNeilage, H. D. Cohen, and L. A. MacNeilage have demonstrated a significant association between subjects’estimates of dream recall and alleged sleep-talking propensities. The questionnaire surveys reviewed earlier provided estimates of the incidence of sleep-talking based on the self-report of the respondents.
