Walking or talking in your sleep are types of sleep disorders that you may have heard of before. One sleep disorder that you may not be familiar with is sleep sex or sexomnia. Seksomnia, like walking in sleep, is a kind of parasomnie. Parasomnia occurs when the brain is located between stages of sleep. This intermediate stage can make you feel like you are awake while you are still asleep.
People with sexism experience sleep-related sexual behaviors. These behaviors range from masturbation to sexual intercourse.
Symptoms
Sexism is different from sexual dreams. Sex-themed dreams are not uncommon for teenagers and adults. These experiences are quite different from sexomnia. People with this disorder have sexual intercourse while sleeping, often with other people. The difficulty with a parasomnia like sleep sex is that the person with this disorder may not realize they have it.
Behaviors include:
- caressing or stimulating foreplay with a partner
- behaviors that mimic sexual intercourse
- masturbation
- sexual intercourse
- spontaneous orgasm
If the person is not aware of the behavior after waking up, this may be a sign of a parasomnie. The individual experiencing sexism may have his eyes open and act as if he is awake. However, they will not remember anything.
Causes
It is not clear what causes some people to develop sexism, but doctors know some factors that may contribute:
- sleep deprivation
- increased stress
- anxiety
- fatigue
- certain medications
- alcohol, drugs
Doing things you do not remember doing while you were asleep can be alarming. Some sexual behaviors may be harmless, such as masturbation, but they can be quite serious. In fact, sexism has been used as a source of protection in cases of rape. If your partner reports unusual sleep behaviors over several weeks or months, make an appointment with a sleep specialist.
Sources: Healthline, WebMD
