Sleep has been called temporary death, but there's so much that goes on
during that time of repose. While visiting that other world one might walk,
talk, grind teeth, and sometimes dream.

Your brain is more active while you're asleep than when watching television.
And that's even when you you don't walk or talk in sleep. No wonder our
language is rife in sleep-related idioms. You can sleep in, on, out, around,
with, and over. You can lose sleep over things.

You can go without food for a while but you can't cheat on sleep. It demands
its dues. According to a report, you would be 25% less alert on just an
hour's loss of sleep.

This week's five words are all about sleep.


somniloquy (som-NIL-uh-kwee) noun

   The act or habit of talking while asleep.

[From Latin somni- (sleep) + loqui (to speak).]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=somniloquy

Read about a man whose nighttime soliloquies sold as LP albums:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dion_McGregor

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

  "Somniloquy can occur in all stages of sleep (both dream and nondream
   sleep), though individuals awakened while talking in their sleep will
   often recall dreaming. Sleep talking usually does not result in
   significant problems for individuals; however, it may be embarrassing
   if noted by family or friends."
   Sleep Talking Usually Not Serious; The Cincinnati Post; May 4, 2004.

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............................................................................
We all have handicaps. The difference is that some of us must reveal ours,
while others must conceal theirs, to be treated with mercy. -Yahia
Lababidi, writer (b. 1973)

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Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/somniloquy.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/somniloquy.ram

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