If you have been exhibiting sexually explicit behavior during sleep without any recollection of your actions upon waking up, chances are, you may be experiencing a disorder known as “sleep sex,” or somnambulistic paraphilias. This condition falls under the category of parasomnias – disorders that occur during non-REM (NREM) sleep stages when individuals’ cognition is deeply asleep while their bodies become activated. Parasomnias differ from dream states since they usually take place outside the rapid eye movement stage, where dreams typically happen.
According to a study conducted in Norway, approximately 7% of adults have experienced sexsomnia at some point during their lives, with nearly 3% still dealing with it currently. While some individuals may engage in sexual activities without any issues for themselves and their partners, others find these incidents alarming both for the victim and perpetrator once they become aware of them afterward.
A married woman from her mid-20s often disrobes during sleep while also masturbating but does not remember anything when awakened by a partner’s presence. A 38-year-old man repeatedly attempts to force his wife into sexual intercourse in the middle of the night, unaware of such events as he wakes up each morning without any memory or comprehension about what transpired during sleep. In some instances, people with this condition may also injure themselves due to their unconscious behavior and avoid relationships for extended periods out of embarrassment regarding these incidents.
While it can be challenging to study sexsomnia because individuals might not remember the occurrences unless they hurt themselves or receive reports from partners about them, researchers have documented several cases over time. Dr. Carlos Schenck, a professor at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota and an expert on parasomnias for decades, has treated numerous patients with this condition.
One woman’s husband reported that she would moan sexually during sleep while also engaging in “dirty talk” words not typically used when awake; the wife believed her spouse was cheating on her until medical treatment confirmed it as a result of parasomnia episodes. The incidents first began around 2005, and they occurred roughly twice monthly thereafter.
The woman’s husband also reported that she would fondle him during sleep while making sexual advances towards other men, including co-workers, which further convinced her partner that he was being betrayed by his wife in secret. However, Schenck emphasized the critical differences between an awake individual and one undergoing a parasomnia attack since their brains are wired differently when asleep than during wakefulness hours.
Parasomnias can also lead to legal issues as individuals may engage in sexual activities with minors or exhibit aggressive behaviors while sleeping, which could result in criminal charges against them. Consequently, sleep forensics experts have developed comprehensive evaluations and interviews that help distinguish between genuine excuses versus actual cases of parasomnia.
A family’s genetics plays a critical role as the likelihood increases for individuals with at least one first-degree relative diagnosed with parasomnias to develop similar conditions in adulthood or reoccurrences. Individuals experiencing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) might also trigger these episodes, particularly among men who experience breath holding and apneas during OSA attacks that lead to arousal-induced sexual behaviors while sleeping.
While medication such as clonazepam can help control parasomnias in certain patients successfully without negative side effects or dependence concerns for long durations of time, individuals could try different behavioral strategies like sleep hygiene education and relaxation techniques that might reduce symptoms dramatically or eliminate them entirely altogether. Clinical hypnosis is another approach to manage these conditions by encouraging people into a daydreaming state voluntarily while riding on the bus and looking out the window without seeing what’s in front of them because they are so lost in thought, which can be very effective for some individuals with parasomnia disorders.
Leave a Reply