What is sexsomnia, is it an actual medical disorder, what causes it and how can it be treated?
IT MAY sound like something to laugh at, but sexsomnia is a serious condition.
While it usually leads to self-touching or sexual motions, it can also cause someone to unknowingly seek intimacy with others. Here's everything you need to know.
What is sexsomnia?
Sexsomnia - also known as sleep sex - occurs when a person engages in sexual acts while they're asleep.
Like sleepwalking, it's a parasomnia, an abnormal activity that occurs during a specific kind of sleep.
Research has found that most episodes occur during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM), the dreamless, deepest stage of the sleep cycle.
Sexual dreams are not considered a type of sexsomnia, because they involve no physical actions aside from arousal and ejaculation.
Many sexsomnia behaviours are harmless, such as masturbating.
But they can sometimes be serious - it's been used as a defence in rape cases.
Is it an actual medical disorder?
Matthew Walker - professor of neurology at London's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery - told the in 2013 that sexsomnia "does exist" and "is a very real condition".
But many facts - such as its exact cause and its prevalence - are not understood.
Sexsomnia was only medically classified in 2013, with the first official case being reported in 1986.
According to a 2015 study, only 94 cases of sleep sex have been documented worldwide.
Many researchers believe the number of sufferers to be higher, but incidents aren't reported because people are either too embarrassed or don't remember.
What causes sexsomnia?
As previously mentioned, the exact cause isn't known.
However, most people who've exhibited such behaviours are or have been sleepwalkers at some point in their lives.
According to , the risk of sleep sex is heightened when sleep quality or quantity is worsened.
Triggers include:
- excessive alcohol consumption
- sleep apnea
- sleep deprivation
- use of illegal drugs
- anxiety
- stress
- poor sleeping conditions (too light, noisy, or hot)
- poor sleep schedule
- shift work, especially high-stress jobs
- travel
- sharing a bed with someone, regardless of their relationship with the person
Several patients have reported that they were dreaming about having sex or having some type of sexual fantasy.
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How can it be treated?
Treatment for sexsomnia can be very successful.
has outlined these options:
- dealing with underlying sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome
- changes in medication
- medication for underlying causes, such as depression or anxiety
- new medications
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