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, subtle 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.
Causes:-
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:-
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
It’s not clear how common sexsomnia is, but it’s considered rare.
