She only looks innocent (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The world of weird sex issues never ends. Today, it's all about sexsomnia.
What is it?
The name alone probably gives you some solid hints as to what it is, but we'll still walk you through it. Some people walk in their sleep—others make the beast with two backs (and we don't mean the one under the bed). Reported cases tell of people masturbating "violently" in their sleep, performing oral sex on their lovers, physically walking and seeking a sex partner and seducing their sleeping partners. If the sexsomnier is awakened (probably by a partner screaming in orgasmic ecstasy—or terror), s/he will stop and be confused. Once awake, the person afflicted with sexsomnia will not remember doing the deed whatsoever. Reported sexual assaults have been blamed on sexsomnia, though the validity of those cases are up for debate
Who gets it?
Surprisingly, not your usual sleepwalkers. Also, it's not terribly uncommon. A study in Toronto showed that 7.6% of participants in sleep studies showed symptoms of sexsomnia. To be fair, these people were already participating in a sleep study so they may have already suspected some weirdness in their dozing habits; therefore, this figure may not be an accurate representation of the population. It's more common in people who consistently sleep next to someone else (take that, smug marrieds), but it's also found in those with sleep apnea, extreme exhaustion and those on sleep medications.
How is it treated?
It's not terribly difficult to treat, usually. Some sufferers swear by meditation. For others, medical intervention is necessary. Benzodiazepines, like Xanax, help get the job done. Another alternative is anticonvulsant therapy, which primarily helps with seizures.
Weirdness Scale
We're going to give this one a seven out of a possible 10. It's super odd to have sex in your sleep, but most of us dream about sex anyway. This is just like an extra extreme step. It's certainly something you could laugh at once you've been treated. Plus, we've probably all had sex we'd prefer to forget—perhaps this is just a more convenient excuse.
