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Sexsomnia involves sexual behaviors during sleep that are typically not remembered in the morning.

As much as 10 percent of a general population may experience sexsomnia, and it is more common in men.

Because most people don't remember the behaviors, diagnosis can be complex.

Sexsomnia can sound improbable: A person may initiate sexual activity, masturbate, touch a partner, or attempt intercourse while asleep—and have little or no memory of it the next morning. Yet it is a recognized sleep phenomenon.

Sexsomnia is generally considered a non-rapid eye movement (NREM) parasomnia, in the same family as sleepwalking, sleep terrors, and confusional arousals. Despite growing recognition, much remains unknown, and there is no standardized sexsomnia-specific diagnostic test.

What happens during sexsomnia?

Sexsomnia does not refer to sexual dreams or simply having a sexual response, such as an erection or nocturnal emission (wet dreams) while asleep. Instead, it involves sexual behaviors arising during sleep. Reported behaviors range from masturbation and pelvic thrusting to fondling of a bedmate, sexual vocalizations, attempts to initiate intercourse, and, less commonly, completed intercourse.

A central feature is impaired awareness. People experiencing sexsomnia may be difficult to wake or respond poorly to someone speaking to them. If awakened, they may seem confused or disoriented. Afterwards, they typically have no memory of what happened, although some people have fragmentary recall.

Because people often learn about episodes from a partner, sexsomnia can cause embarrassment, guilt, and relationship difficulties, as well as serious concerns about consent and safety.

How common is sexsomnia?

For years, prevalence was difficult to estimate because most research involved people attending sleep clinics rather than the general population, leaving out........

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