Sleep sex
Sleep sex is a form of REM behavioural disorder (a parasomnia) that causes people to commit sexual acts while they are asleep. These acts may be injurious to themselves or others, as in the case of a man who not only bruised himself with sleeping masturbation, but broke two fingers trying to escape restraints he had placed himself in to control the behavior. Sufferers are often aware of their behavior for a long time before they seek help, often because they are not aware that it is a medical disorder or for fear that others will judge it as willful behavior rather than a medical disorder. However, the reality of the condition has been confirmed by sleep disorder researchers who have made sound and video recordings of patients with the condition and observed unusual brain wave activity during the episodes similar to that experienced by other parasomniacs.
External links
- Sleepsex.org - Fair amount of information for a sleep disorder only identified in the mid 1990's.
- Stanford Sleep Experts Treat Medical Condition Behind Violent 'Sleep Sex'
- Sleepwalkers who have 'sex sleep' – BBC
- Sleeping Woman Bedded Strangers
- Doctor Says Woman Has Sleep-Sex Disorder
- A phenomenology of problematic sexual behavior occurring in sleep - An science article from Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire. Involves Internet sources though.