Sleepwalking and sleep talking are common sleeping disorders, but sexsomnia is becoming a more common sleep subject.
In recent years, a sleep disorder known as sexsomnia - a disorder that causes people to engage in sexual acts while they are asleep - has caught the attention of sleep medicine researchers. It can occur when a person is sexually aroused during deep sleep, causing that person to touch themselves or others.
In some cases the sufferer may engage in sexual acts with unsuspecting outsiders. Fatigue, psychological stress and alcohol and drug use increase the risk of experiencing sexsomnia.
Nobody really knows what causes it
said Michael Mangan, a psychologist, a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire in Durham and an expert on sexsomnia. He also has established the Web site sleepsex.org and written the book Sleepsex: Uncovered.
Some people will sleep in separate rooms or put something between them and their partner like a pillow.
As seen in a court case in Canada, sexsomnia also can have legal consequences. In 2005,
a man in Canada was acquitted of rapes charges after his defense argued he suffered from sexsomnia. The case is still highly controversial and ongoing.
You have to wonder if the person is trying to get away with bad behavior but you cannot rule out that the person was not asleep
said Mangan.
The Holzer Clinic Sleep Lab has never seen a sexsomnia patient. However, it has seen an increase in the number of sleep patients, said Sleep Lab Technician Dorothy Faulkner.
We were just a two-bed and now we're a four-bed. I think people are becoming more aware of sleep problems.
Tri-County Mental Health and Counseling Services has yet to see any sexsomnia patients or victims either.
It's probably not common. What I've heard of more is people who are asleep themselves that are sexually assaulted
said Lindsey Daniels, Sexual Assault Prevention Program coordinator at Tri-County Mental Health and Counseling Services.
Sexsomnia is not considered as common as sleepwalking or sleep talking. However, it is much more common than people realize, and with alcohol and drugs as a contributing factor to the disorder, it is probable on a college campus, Mangan said.
Some students take a humorous approach to the topic, however. If I am completely comfortable with the person
they can have sex with me whenever they want
said Billy Hemann, a sophomore studying marketing.
Jess Hire, a junior studying broadcast journalism, wasn't discomforted by the thought of sexsomnia either.
I guess it depends on how tired I was. If I wasn't too tired
I'd just go with it.
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