| Sexsomnia | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation |
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| Specialty | Psychiatry, clinical psychology, sleep medicine |
| Complications | Allegations of sexual assault; rape |
| Causes | Stress, sleep deprivation, pre-existing parasomnia conditions, consumptions of alcohol or drugs |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms, clinical studies |
| Treatment | Medications, anticonvulsant therapy, CPAP |
Sexsomnia, also known as sleep sex, is a distinct form of parasomnia, or an abnormal activity that occurs while an individual is asleep. Sexsomnia is characterized by an individual engaging in sexual acts while in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Sexual behaviors that result from sexsomnia are not to be mistaken with normal nocturnal sexual behaviors, which do not occur during NREM sleep. Sexual behaviors that are viewed as normal during sleep and are accompanied by extensive research and documentation include nocturnal emissions, nocturnal erections, and sleep orgasms.
Sexsomnia can present in an individual with other pre-existing sleep-related disorders.
Sexsomnia is most often diagnosed in males beginning in adolescence.[1]
Although they may appear to be fully awake, individuals who have sexsomnia often have no recollection of the sexual behaviors they exhibit while asleep. As a result, the individual that they share the bed with notices and reports the sexual behavior.[1]
In some cases, a medical diagnosis of sexsomnia has been used as a criminal defense in court for alleged sexual assault and rape cases.