Sexsomnia – causes and treatment

Sleep walking, sleep talking, grinding your teeth and snoring are common sleep disorders we’ve all heard of.

Now a team of researchers from the Sleep Research Lab at the University Health Network in Toronto have found a novel sleeping disorder, initiating sex while asleep.

‘Sexsomnia’ or sleep sex is a sleep disorder characterized as a non-rapid-eye-movement (N-REM) parasomnia. A parasomnia is a condition characterized by partial arousals during sleep or during transitions between wake and sleep.

Sexsomnia causes the afflicted to initiate sexual acts during sleep. The acts range from masturbation, fondling, sexual intercourse to psychologically and physically devastating sexual assaults and rape while they are asleep.

Upon engaging in sexsomnia, such people have no memory of their actions once they wake up.

People showing symptoms of other sleep disorders such as sleepwalking, sleep talking are more likely to exhibit sexsomnia episodes. Moreover, the phenomenon is nearly three times more prevalent in men (11 percent) than women (4 percent).

While the exact cause of the disorder is not known, researchers believe a genetic component plays a crucial role. Also, a genuine sleep disorder combined with other emotional problems spells havoc.

Alcohol, sleep deprivation, sleep apnea and other sleep disruptions allegedly increase episodes of Sexsomnia. In some cases, sleep sex episodes can be triggered by the contact with bed partner.

Treatment for sexsomnia may combine medication, therapy and lifestyle changes like abstaining alcohol, reducing stress and anxiety.