Sexsomnia

Alright, Bloggy. This is going to sound weird and maybe I shouldn't be complaining. And I promise this is not a bragging thing. Ok, so I just moved in with my girlfriend. About two weeks ago we both woke up in the middle of the night already having sex. Like, I was asleep, she was asleep, then bam, like sleep walking. We thought it was a weird, one time thing and we laughed about it. A couple days ago, it happened again. We're starting to get worried because she's not on the pill and we're definitely too young to have a kid. What the F is going on? -Fred

You're right to be concerned, Fred. You don't know the half of it and this is nothing new. What you and your girlfriend are experiencing is known as SBS (sexual behavior while sleeping) or Sexsomnia, a term coined by doctors Shapiro, Fedoroff and Trajanovic in 1996. They published an article that was widely read in the medical community called "Sexsomina- A New Parasomnia?"

Parasomnia is a term that encompasses a wide variety of abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep. These include sleep walking, sleep talking, sudden bouts of adrenaline-based panic and involuntary movement. Recent research has shown that parasomnia are much more common than originally thought, Sexsomnia being no exception. The thing about parasomnia is that it is more common in children than in adults, three times more common as a matter of fact. The reasons for this likely have to do with the constant development under which children go.

In adults, parasomnia almost always occur due to some sort of stress, especially sleep deprivation. Parasomnia have also been linked to the consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive compounds, RE: Recreational Drugs. Sexsomnia occurs in non-REM sleep, meaning it takes place during parts of the sleep cycle when body movement is still possible. It should also be noted that it takes place during periods of brain activity that indicate partial dreaming, the sort that is not vivid enough to be remembered.

There's some good news and bad news for you and your girlfriend, Fred. Instances of Sexsomnia rarely result in completed intercourse. It's not certain whether or not it is even physically possible for a man to ejaculate in such a condition. Many instances of sleep sex fade much like dreams, i.e. suddenly and without reason.

The bad news is that parasomnia are frequently symptoms, not conditions in and of themselves. Nearly half of all cases of any parasomnia behavior are indicative of some other disorder. Everything from a minor chemical imbalance, to schizophrenia, to actual brain damage can result in parasomnia. As always, I'm going to have to advise you and your girlfriend to see a doctor about this. It's happened more than once and it's likely to happen again. Until you can get to a doctor, there are some things you can try to reduce the likelihood of having another bout of sleep sex.

First, refrain from consuming any intoxicating substances, legal or otherwise. Also, do your best to reduce the stress you have in your lives. Don't go to bed angry. If you can you should make sure not to overwork yourself. Also, there's a fun, common sense method you can employ: Have sex (consciously) before you go to sleep. Doing so will, among other things, improve your circulation and give both of you a nice endorphin cascade that will relax you as you head off into dream land. If you're still concerned, then sleep in separate places.

Sexsomnia is qualitatively distinct from sleep walking, so barring any huge coincidence you should be safe if one of you is on the couch. And I have to reiterate: See a doctor. While you're there, talk to him or her about options for birth control.