Overview
Sleep walking, sleep talking, and even sleep driving are all types of sleep disorders you may have heard of before. You may have even experienced one or more yourself.
One sleep disorder you might not be as familiar with is sleep sex, or sexsomnia. Sexsomnia, like sleepwalking, is a type of parasomnia. Parasomnia is the result of your brain being caught between sleep stages. This in-between phase may make you act like you’re awake when you’re still asleep.
People with sexsomnia experience sleep-related sexual behavior. These behaviors range from masturbation to sexual intercourse. Treatment for underlying sleep disorders or behavioral issues may treat sleep sex, too.
Symptoms
Sexsomnia is different from sex dreams. Sex-themed dreams are not unusual for teenagers and adults. These experiences are quite different from sexsomnia. People with this disorder engage in sexual behaviors while asleep, often with other people.
The difficulty with a parasomnia like sleep sex is that the person with the disorder may not realize they have it. Partners, parents, roommates, or friends may first notice the behaviors. The person with the condition may not know it’s occurring until someone else brings it to their attention.
Common behaviors with sexsomnia include:
- fondling or inducing foreplay with bed partner
- pelvic thrusting
- behaviors that mimic sexual intercourse
- masturbation
- sexual intercourse
- spontaneous orgasm
- glassy, vacant look in eyes during these behaviors
- being unaware of behavior later
If the person isn’t aware of the behavior after they wake up, this could be a sign of a parasomnia. The individual experiencing sexsomnia may have their eyes open and act awake. However, they’re experiencing an amnesic episode and won’t remember anything.
Likewise, subtCauses
It’s not clear what causes some people to develop sexsomnia, but doctors do know of several factors that can contribute to it. These include:
- sleep deprivation
- increased stress
- anxiety
- fatigue
- certain medications
- drinking alcohol
- using recreational drugs or prescription drugs you weren’t prescribed
- irregular sleep patterns
Risk factors
Underlying medical conditions may trigger sexsomnia, too. These conditions often interfere with sleep. They include:
- simultaneous sleep disorders, including sleep talking or sleepwalking
- restless leg syndrome
- obstructive sleep apnea
- sleep-related epilepsy
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- head injuries
- migraines
INCIDENCE
Incidence
It’s not clear how common sexsomnia is, but it’s considered rare. One study found that 8 percent of people at a Canadian sleep disorder clinic showed symptoms of sexsomnia. Men were almost three times more likely than women to have the disorder. Women with sexsomnia were more likely to masturbate.
Keep in mind the study results only included people at a specific sleep disorder clinic. The condition is likely much less common in the general population.
People experiencing the disorder may not report their symptoms because they may feel embarrassed or ashamed or be unaware of their condition. That could mean more cases occur than are known. Of the 832 participants in the Canadian study, only four expressed concerns about sexsomnia during consultations with sleep specialists.le changes in sexual behavior may be a sign of the sleep disorder. People with sexsomnia may be more assertive during episodes of sleep sex than they would be otherwise. Inhibitions may be lower because they’re asleep, so behavior may seem different to partners.
Seeking help
Doing things you can’t recall doing while you were asleep can be alarming. Some sexsomnia behaviors may be harmless, such as masturbating. For others, they can also be quite serious. In fact, sexsomnia has been used as a defense in rape cases.
Partners of people with sexsomnia may also be concerned the behavior is a sign of displeasure in the relationship. This can lead to a growing rift between you and your loved one.
These are all valid reasons to seek help for your sleep disorder. If a partner or loved one reports unusual sleep behaviors to you over the course of a few weeks or months, make an appointment with a sleep specialist. If you don’t know one, ask for a recommendation from your family doctor.
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